Search

Ecological networks are an effective strategy to maintain regional ecological security. However, current research on ecological network construction in areas with large-scale resource extraction is limited. Moreover, classic ecological network construction methods do not perform satisfactorily when implemented in heavily damaged mining landscapes. Taking the example of Liaoning Province, China, a framework for stepwise renewal of ecological networks was proposed, which integrates basic ecological sources and other sources that include mining areas. The framework was based on multi-source ecological environment monitoring data, and all potential ecological sources were extracted and screened using an MSPA model and the area threshold method. Further, ecological sources were classified into two types and three levels based on the influence of abandoned mines and the characteristics of ecosystem services in the ecological sources. Ecological corridors were extracted using the MCR model. An ecological corridor optimization process based on combining the gravity model with addition and removal rules of corridors was proposed. The results indicated that the basic ecological network in Liaoning Province included 101 ecological sources and 162 ecological corridors, and the supplementary ecological network included 28 ecological sources and 67 ecological corridors. The ecological sources were divided into two types, and corridors were divided into three types. The basic ecological network exhibited a spatial distribution of discrete connections in the west and close connections in the east. Changes in ecological network topological indicators indicated that a supplementary ecological network strengthened the structural performance of the regional ecological network, expanding spatial coverage, filling hollow areas, and enriching local details of the regional ecological network. Regulation strategies were proposed for ecological sources with different connection modes. The number of ecological sources implementing restrictive development, pattern optimization, and protective development were 101, 12, and 16, respectively. This paper provides a constructing framework of ecological networks adapted for resource-based regions. This method can support decisions for the environmental governance of mines, thus contributing to a balance between resource exploitation and ecological protection in regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the main contributor of carbon emissions, the low-carbon transition of the industrial sector is important for achieving the goal of carbon dioxide peaking. Hydrogen-enabled industrial energy systems (HIESs) are a promising way to achieve the low-carbon transition of industrial energy systems, since the hydrogen can be well coordinated with renewable energy sources and satisfy the high and continuous industrial energy demand. In this paper, the long-term capacity expansion planning problem of the HIES is formulated from the perspective of industrial parks, and the targets of carbon dioxide peaking and the gradual decommissioning of existing equipment are considered as constraints. The results show that the targets of carbon dioxide peaking before different years or with different emission reduction targets can be achieved through the developed method, while the economic performance is ensured to some extent. Meanwhile, the overall cost of the strategy based on purchasing emission allowance is three times more than the cost of the strategy obtained by the developed method, while the emissions of the two strategies are same. In addition, long-term carbon reduction policies and optimistic expectations for new energy technologies will help industrial parks build more new energy equipment for clean transformation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Aim: Small heterodimer partner (SHP, encoded by NR0B2) plays an important role in maintaining bile acid homeostasis. The loss of the hepatic farnesoid X receptor (FXR)/SHP signal can cause severe cholestatic liver injury (CLI). FXR and SHP have overlapping and nonoverlapping functions in bile acid homeostasis. However, the key role played by SHP in CLI is unclear. Methods: In this study, an alpha‐naphthylisothiocyanate (ANIT)‐induced cholestasis mouse model was established. The effect of SHP knockout (SHP‐KO) on liver and ileal pathology was evaluated. 16S rRNA gene sequencing analysis combined with untargeted metabolomics was applied to reveal the involvement of SHP in the pathogenesis of CLI. Results: The results showed that ANIT (75 mg/kg) induced cholestasis in WT mice. No significant morphological changes were found in the liver and ileal tissue of SHP‐KO mice. However, the serum metabolism and intestinal flora characteristics were significantly changed. Moreover, compared with the WT + ANIT group, the serum levels of ALT and AST in the SHP‐KO + ANIT group were significantly increased, and punctate necrosis in the liver tissue was more obvious. The ileum villi showed obvious shedding, thinning, and shortening. In addition, SHP‐KO‐associated differential intestinal flora and differential biomarkers were significantly associated. Conclusion: In this study, we elucidated the serum metabolic characteristics and intestinal flora changes related to the aggravation of CLI in SHP‐KO mice induced by ANIT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Redox balance plays an important role in testicular homeostasis. While lots of antioxidant molecules have been identified as widely expressed, the understanding of the critical mechanisms for redox management in male germ cells is inadequate. This study identified LanCL2 as a major male germ cell-specific antioxidant gene that is important for testicular homeostasis. Highly expressed in the brain and testis, LanCL2 expression correlates with testicular maturation and brain development. LanCL2 is enriched in spermatocytes and round spermatids of the testis. By examining LanCL2 knockout mice, we found that LanCL2 deletion did not affect postnatal brain development but injured the sperm parameters of adult mice. With histopathological analysis, we noticed that LanCL2 KO caused a pre-maturation and accelerated the self-renewal of spermatogonial stem cells in the early stage of spermatogenesis. In contrast, at the adult stage, LanCL2 KO damaged the acrosomal maturation in spermiogenesis, resulting in spermatogenic defects with a reduced number and motility of spermatozoa. Furthermore, we show that this disruption of testicular homeostasis in the LanCL2 KO testis was due to dysbalanced testicular redox homeostasis. This study demonstrates the critical role of LanCL2 in testicular homeostasis and redox balance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transition state (TS) on the potential energy surface (PES) plays a key role in determining the kinetics and thermodynamics of chemical reactions. Inspired by the fact that the dynamics of complex systems are always driven by rare but significant transition events, we herein propose a TS search method in accordance with the Q‐learning algorithm. Appropriate reward functions are set for a given PES to optimize the reaction pathway through continuous trial and error, and then the TS can be obtained from the optimized reaction pathway. The validity of this Q‐learning method with reasonable settings of Q‐value table including actions, states, learning rate, greedy rate, discount rate, and so on, is exemplified in 2 two‐dimensional potential functions. In the applications of the Q‐learning method to two chemical reactions, it is demonstrated that the Q‐learning method can predict consistent TS and reaction pathway with those by ab initio calculations. Notably, the PES must be well prepared before using the Q‐learning method, and a coarse‐to‐fine PES scanning scheme is thus introduced to save the computational time while maintaining the accuracy of the Q‐learning prediction. This work offers a simple and reliable Q‐learning method to search for all possible TS and reaction pathway of a chemical reaction, which may be a new option for effectively exploring the PES in an extensive search manner. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Open in new tab Download slide OBJECTIVES The decision to undergo aortic aneurysm repair balances the risk of operation with the risk of aortic complications. The surgical risk is typically represented by perioperative mortality, while the aneurysmal risk relates to the 1-year risk of aortic events. We investigate the difference in 30-day and 1-year mortality after total arch replacement for aortic aneurysm. METHODS This was an international two-centre study of 456 patients who underwent total aortic arch replacement for aneurysm between 2006 and 2020. Our primary end-point of interest was 1-year mortality. Our secondary analysis determined which variables were associated with 1-year mortality. RESULTS The median age of patients was 65.4 years (interquartile range 55.1–71.1) and 118 (25.9%) were female. Concomitantly, 91 (20.0%) patients had either an aortic root replacement or aortic valve procedure. There was a drop in 1-year (81%, 95% confidence interval (CI) 78–85%) survival probability compared to 30-day (92%, 95% CI 90–95%) survival probability. Risk hazards regression showed the greatest risk of mortality in the first 4 months after discharge. Stroke [hazard ratio (HR) 2.54, 95% CI (1.16–5.58)], renal failure [HR 3.59 (1.78–7.25)], respiratory failure [HR 3.65 (1.79–7.42)] and reoperation for bleeding [HR 2.97 (1.36–6.46)] were associated with 1-year mortality in patients who survived 30 days. CONCLUSIONS There is an increase in mortality up to 1 year after aortic arch replacement. This increase is prominent in the first 4 months and is associated with postoperative complications, implying the influence of surgical insult. Mortality beyond the short term may be considered in assessing surgical risk in patients who are undergoing total arch replacement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Frequent spontaneous combustion activities restrict ecological restoration of coal waste dumps after reclamation. Effective monitoring of vegetation restoration is important for ensuring land reclamation success and preserving the ecological environment in mining areas. Development of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) technology has enabled fine-scale vegetation monitoring. In this study, we focused on Medicago sativa L. (alfalfa), a representative herbaceous vegetation type, in a coal waste dump after reclamation in Shanxi province, China. The alfalfa aboveground biomass (AGB) was used as an indicator for assessing vegetation restoration. The objective of this study was to evaluate the capacity of UAV-based fusion of RGB, multispectral, and thermal infrared information for estimating alfalfa AGB using various regression models, including random forest regression (RFR), gradient boosting decision tree (GBDT), K-nearest neighbor (KNN), support vector regression (SVR), and stacking models. The main results are as follows: (i) UAV multi-source data fusion improved alfalfa AGB estimation accuracy, although the enhancement diminished with the increasing number of sensor types. (ii) The stacking model consistently outperformed RFR, GBDT, KNN, and SVR regression models across all feature fusion combinations. It achieved high accuracy with R2 of 0.86–0.88, RMSE of 80.06–86.87 g/m2, and MAE of 60.24–62.69 g/m2. Notably, the stacking model based on only RGB imagery features mitigated the accuracy loss from limited types of features, potentially reducing equipment costs. This study demonstrated the potential of UAV in improving vegetation restoration management of coal waste dumps after reclamation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To determine the influence of intraoperative factors relative to preoperative risk factors on recovery after aortic root replacement (ARR). Methods: Retrospective review of baseline and intraoperative characteristics was performed of 822 patients at our Aortic Center from 2005 to 2019. Inclusion criteria were all patients age 18 and older who underwent ARR at our institution from 2005 to 2019. The primary endpoint was the aggregate outcome of "failure to achieve uneventful recovery (FUR)," as previously defined. Results: In total, 207 (25%) patients experienced FUR. The following preoperative and intraoperative variables were significantly associated with FUR in the multivariable analysis: cardiopulmonary bypass time (OR 1.01, 95% CI 1.01–1.02) open chest management (OR 5.67, 95% CI 2.65–12.1), ejection fraction (OR 1.03, 95% CI 1.01–1.04), chronic kidney disease > stage 3a (OR 2.37, 95% CI 1.54–3.63), bicuspid aortic valve (OR 1.54, 95% CI 1.21–1.96), and female sex (OR 1.30, 95% CI 1.06–1.61). Cardiopulmonary bypass time and open chest management were among the top three partial R2 contributors to the logistic regression model variance. Conclusions: These findings suggest efficacy in using intraoperative parameters to predict postoperative outcomes after ARR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nitrogen oxide (NOX) gas pollutants pose severe threats to human health, the ozone layer, and the global climate, and thus finding suitable materials and methods to efficiently remove NOX has been of great interest for years. By studying the related photocatalysis and surface reactions, we herein propose to use the graphitic carbon nitride (g-CN) film with N-vacancies (g-CNNV) to decompose NOX. Based on density functional theory (DFT) and time-dependent DFT calculations, we revealed the decomposition mechanism of NO/NO2 gas on g-CNNV. We found that the N–O bond cleavage of NOX is usually accompanied by the N occupying the N-vacancy and oxygen formation, and subsequent light excitation promotes the oxygen desorption from the g-CN surface through photochemical processes of intersystem crossing and conical intersection. We demonstrated that the g-CNNV film under illumination can effectively decompose NOX into harmless oxygen. Therefore, coating the g-CNNV film on the outer walls of buildings or chimneys may be a promising green and economical strategy for NOX removal, given that the sunlight and surface defects can synergistically affect the electronic states of adsorbates and facilitate their favorable transformation by gas–solid interaction. This work offers a deep understanding of the fundamental process of surface photocatalytic reactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This review focuses on the potential ameliorative effects of polyphenolic compounds derived from human diet on hepatic diseases. It discusses the molecular mechanisms and recent advancements in clinical applications. Edible polyphenols have been found to play a therapeutic role, particularly in liver injury, liver fibrosis, NAFLD/NASH, and HCC. In the regulation of liver injury, polyphenols exhibit anti‐inflammatory and antioxidant effects, primarily targeting the TGF‐β, NF‐κB/TLR4, PI3K/AKT, and Nrf2/HO‐1 signaling pathways. In the regulation of liver fibrosis, polyphenolic compounds effectively reverse the fibrotic process by inhibiting the activation of hepatic stellate cells (HSC). Furthermore, polyphenolic compounds show efficacy against NAFLD/NASH by inhibiting lipid oxidation and accumulation, mediated through the AMPK, SIRT, and PPARγ pathways. Moreover, several polyphenolic compounds exhibit anti‐HCC activity by suppressing tumor cell proliferation and metastasis. This inhibition primarily involves blocking Akt and Wnt signaling, as well as inhibiting the epithelial‐mesenchymal transition (EMT). Additionally, clinical trials and nutritional evidence support the notion that certain polyphenols can improve liver disease and associated metabolic disorders. However, further fundamental research and clinical trials are warranted to validate the efficacy of dietary polyphenols. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This scholarly investigation delves into the metamorphosis of China's language policies across three distinct epochs spanning over two millennia, tracing from ancient China to contemporary times. Employing a sociolinguistic lens, the analysis elucidates the historical trajectories of these policies, accentuating their theoretical and pragmatic implications, particularly in the realms of linguistic strategies for ethnic minorities and the overarching national language. The derived conclusions highlight a nuanced amalgamation of subjectivity and diversity within these policies, encompassing both the elevation of Mandarin and the preservation of minority languages. By deciphering historical patterns, this study aspires to furnish insights that could inform prospective orientations in China's linguistic policy formulation, set against the evolving backdrop of global interconnectedness, the Belt and Road Initiative, and the nation's overarching developmental objectives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rolling bodies in cageless ball bearings without cage control will always hit each other. This causes the rolling bodies to wear out faster and decreases the bearing's performance. But most of the available references only look at how well the bearing works when the cage is in place. They do not look at how the inner ring's dynamic response changes when the cage is removed and the rolling elements' motion changes. On the basis of this, a nonlinear rolling-body dynamics model with six degrees of freedom and contact between rolling bodies is suggested. The dynamics model of an automatic discrete system is built on the motion coupling and functional slot discrete theories. The power hardware re-turn method is used to figure out how to solve the dynamics model. The results show that after the rotor falls into the inner ring, the rolling bodies will cause cumulative collision for a short time. Then, because of the function slot, the occasional collision between the rolling bodies would not cause cumulative collision again, and the inner ring motion will be more stable. When the speed of the rotor's fall goes up, the rolling bodies hit each other more often. This makes the inner ring move more steadily, but there is a limit. To make sure that the theoretical analysis and the results of the theoretical solution are right, a high-speed camera was used. To make sure that the theoretical analysis and the results of the theoretical solution are right, we built a bearing test platform to take pictures of the rolling body of the bearing as it moved. The image processing program is used to figure out the rolling body's angular speed, compare the test results to the theoretical study and make sure that the theoretical study is right. The theoretical study is compared to the test results to see if the theoretical study is right. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Proteins related to sperm motility and sperm morphology have an important impact on sperm function such as metabolism, motility and fertilisation etc. An understanding of the key proteins related to semen quality in Niangya yaks would help to provide support for breeding. However, the key proteins that affect semen quality in Niangya yaks remain unclear. Methods: Herein, we applied tandem mass tag (TMT) labeling and liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC‒MS/MS) to analyze the expression levels of sperm proteins in groups of high- and low-quality semen from Niangya yaks. And fifteen differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) were randomly selected for expression level validation by parallel reaction monitoring (PRM). Results: Of the 2,092 quantified proteins, 280 were identified as DEPs in the high-quality group versus the low-quality group. Gene Ontology (GO) analysis revealed that in terms of biological pathways, the DEPs were mainly involved in metabolic processes, cell transformation processes, and single organism metabolic processes. In terms of cell composition, the DEPs were mainly located in the cell membrane, organelle, molecular complex. In terms of molecular functions, the most abundant functions of the DEPs were catalytic activity, binding activity, transport activity, and enzyme regulation activity. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analysis revealed that the DEPs were mainly involved in the cytokine and cytokine receptor interaction, notch signaling pathway, lysine biosynthesis, renal function-related protein and proteasome pathway. From protein-protein interaction (PPI) analysis of DEPs involved in important pathways, 6 related proteins affecting the semen quality of Niangya yaks were identified. And the results of the PRM and TMT analysis were consistent. Conclusions: The differential sperm proteomic analysis of high- and low-quality semen from Niangya yaks, revealed 6 proteins (PSMC5, PSMD8, PSMB3, HSP90AA1, UGP2 and HSPB1), were mainly concentrated in energy production and metabolism, might play important roles in semen quality, which could serve as candidates for the selection and breeding of Niangya yaks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ecological risk assessment plays an important role in ecosystem management and conservation. Conventional landscape-level assessment can only estimate the ecological risk level. It does not define ecological risk types, resulting in a lack of targeted regulation methods. This study establishes a model for identifying ecological risk-related "source-sink" landscape functions according to (1) "source-sink" landscape theory, (2) the responses of landscape types to ecological risks, and (3) the key influences on ecological risk. Four ecological risk "source-sink" landscape functions were mapped as a grid to understand their distribution. Natural and human activity factors were analyzed to determine their effects. After comprehensively considering the ecological risk levels, types of ecological risk, "source-sink" landscape functions, and their influencing factors, six principles and twenty-four targeted regulation strategies were proposed. Take the Liaoning province, China, as an example. The results prove that more than 80% of the grids were affected by the ecological risk "sink" landscape function for different and multiple ecological risks in the study area. Landscapes with the "source" function were mainly located in central cities and coastal areas. About 65% of the grids with "sink" landscape functions had medium, moderate-high, and high ecological risks. More than 75% of the grids with "source" landscape functions had medium, moderate-low, and low ecological risks. Local terrain features, vegetation, and climate were closely related to the "source" or "sink" landscape function of a grid. The land use type converted to artificial surface had the highest driving effects (q value) on multiple ecological risk "source-sink" landscape functions, and had a significant difference between other factors. The driving effects of land use type converted to artificial surface and road network density gradually increased with the risk level. The influences of GDP and population density gradually weakened with the level. The influence of interaction between any two factors was stronger than the influence of a single factor on ecological risk. The proposed assessment model can help to identify specific ecological risk at the grid level, and combined with the regulation strategy, the scientific basis can be provided for the regulation and management of different ecological risks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVES Existing aortic graft complicates the surgical management of prosthetic valve endocarditis (PVE); yet, its impact has not been well studied. We compared outcomes of patients with prior aortic valve replacement (AVR) versus aortic surgery plus AVR, who underwent reoperative aortic root replacement (ARR) for PVE of the aortic valve. METHODS All patients who underwent reoperative ARR for PVE between 2004 and 2021 from 2 aortic centres were included. Two groups were formed based on the presence/absence of aortic graft: prior aortic surgery (AO) and prior AVR (AV) alone. Inverse propensity treatment weighting matched the groups. The Kaplan–Meier method was used to analyse long-term survival, and Fine and Gray model was used to compare the cumulative incidence of reoperation. RESULTS A total of 130 patients were included (AO n  = 59; AV n  = 71). After matching, AO patients had increased stroke incidence (12.4% vs 0.9%) and renal failure requiring dialysis (11.5% vs 2.5%). In-hospital mortality was comparable (21.5% AO and 18.6% AV). Survival over 5 years was 68.9% (56.6–83.8%) in AO and 62.7% (48.1–81.7%) in AV (P  = 0.70). The cumulative incidence of reoperation was similar [AO 6.3% (0.0–13.2%) vs AV 6.1% (0.0–15.1%), P  = 0.69]. CONCLUSIONS Reoperative ARRs for prosthetic valve/graft endocarditis are high-risk procedures. AO patients had higher incidence of postoperative morbidity versus AV patients. For all patients surviving operative intervention, survival and reoperation rates over 5 years were comparable between groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chronic gastritis (CG) is a common clinical digestive system disease, which is not easyily cured and is prone to recurrence. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) plays a significant role in the treatment of CG and has attracted increasing attention for clinical applications. In recent years, a large number of reports have shown that TCM has good therapeutic effect on CG. The aim of this paper is to investigate the pharmacological activities and mechanism of action of TCM in the treatment of CAG. Therefore, by searching the databases of Pubmed, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Wanfang, and Baidu academic databases, this paper has summarized the molecular mechanisms of TCM in improving CG. The results show that the improvement of GC by TCM is closely related to a variety of molecular mechanisms, including the inhibition of Helicobacter pylori (Hp) infection, alleviation of oxidative stress, improvement of gastric function, repair of gastric mucosa, inhibition of inflammatory response, and apoptosis. More importantly, IRF8-IFN-γ, IL-4-STAT6, Hedgehog, pERK1/2, MAPK, PI3K-Akt, NF-κB, TNFR-c-Src-ERK1/2-c-Fos, Nrf2/HO-1, and HIF-1α/VEGF signaling pathways are considered as important molecular targets for TCM in the treatment of GC. These important findings will provide a direction and a basis for further exploring the pathogenesis of GC and tapping the potential of TCM in clinical treatment. This review also puts forward a bright prospect for future research of TCM in the treatment of CG. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

On 1 December 2016, an Mw 6.2 earthquake characterized by normal faulting occurred in the highlands of the central Andes in southern Peru, marking the region's largest shallow event. The occurrence of the earthquake provides a significant chance to gain insight into the regional tectonic deformation and the seismogenic mechanism of the shallow normal-faulting earthquake, as well as the regional potential seismic risk. Here, we first utilize Sentinel-1A interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR) data to extract the coseismic and postseismic deformation associated with this earthquake and then determine the detailed coseismic slip and postseismic afterslip distribution of this event. Coseismic modeling results indicate that the coseismic rupture is mainly characterized by normal faulting with some dextral strike-slip components. Most coseismic slip is confined to a depth range of 2–12 km, indicating an obvious slip deficit area in the shallow fault part. Further postseismic modeling reveals that the majority of afterslip is concentrated at depths of 0 to 5.4 km. The relatively shallow postseismic afterslip makes up for the coseismic slip deficit area to some extent. Through a joint analysis of the inversions, seismic data, and regional geology and geomorphology, we infer that the occurrence of this 2016 normal-faulting event is a result of regional gravitational collapse. In addition, we investigate the relationship between the 2016 earthquake and great historical earthquakes near the subduction zone of the central Andes and find that the 2016 event is likely promoted in advance by these events through our calculations of the coseismic and postseismic Coulomb stress changes. Finally, we should pay more attention to the nearby Falla Huaytacucho-Condoroma fault and the western segment of the Vilcanota Fault because of their relatively high stress loading. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To determine the role of adding open distal anastomosis to proximal aortic aneurysm repairs in bicuspid aortic valve (BAV) patients. Methods: Retrospective review was performed of 1132 patients at our Aortic Center between 2005 and 2019. Inclusion criteria were all patients diagnosed with a BAV who underwent proximal aortic aneurysm repair with open or clamped distal anastomosis. Exclusion criteria were patients without a BAV, age < 18 years, aortic arch diameter ≥ 4.5 cm, type A aortic dissection, previous ascending aortic replacement, ruptured aneurysm, and endocarditis. Propensity score matching in a 2:1 ratio (220 clamped: 121 open repairs) on 18 variables was performed. Results: Median follow-up time was 45.6 months (range 7.2–143.4 months). In the matched groups, no significant differences were observed between the respective open and clamped distal anastomosis groups for Kaplan Meier 10-year survival (86.9% vs. 92.9%; p = 0.05) and landmark survival analysis after 1 year (90.6%; vs. 93.3%; p = 0.39). Overall incidence of aortic arch-related reintervention was low (n = 3 total events). In-hospital complications were not significantly different in the open with respect to the clamped repair group, including in-hospital mortality (2.5% vs. 0.5%; p = 0.13) and stroke (0% vs. 0.9%; p = 0.54). In multivariable analysis, open distal anastomosis repair was not associated with long-term mortality (Hazard Ratio (HR) 1.98; p = 0.06). Conclusion: We found no significant inter-group differences in survival, reintervention, or in-hospital complication rates, with low rates of mortality, and aortic arch-related reintervention, suggesting adding open distal anastomosis may not provide benefit in BAV patients undergoing proximal aortic aneurysm repairs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Thalassemia is the most common monogenic disease in South and Southeast Asia. An accurate assessment of the relative frequency and composition of thalassemia mutations is important for the design of appropriate strategies to prevent the disease. In this study, we aimed to decode the molecular characterization of thalassemia mutations in Zhuhai region of southern China. Methods: A total of 8048 individuals who were potential thalassemia carriers were enrolled. Gap‐polymerase chain reaction (Gap‐PCR) and reverse dot‐blot (RDB) hybridization methods were employed to detect common deletional and non‐deletional thalassemia mutations. Multiplex ligation dependent probe amplification (MLPA) and Sanger sequencing were used to analyze and verify rare and complex mutations. Results: We diagnosed 3433 individuals as thalassemia carriers or patients. Of these, 2395 (69.76%) individuals with α‐thalassemia harbored 13 α‐globin gene mutations. The three most common α‐thalassemia mutations were ‐‐SEA (60.08%), ‐α3.7 (20.62%) and ‐α4.2 (9.25%). We diagnosed 903 (26.30%) individuals with β‐thalassemia and identified 20 β‐globin gene mutations, of which the three most frequent were CD41/42 (‐TCTT) (38.10%), IVS‐II‐654 (C>T) (23.69%) and TATAbox‐28 (A>G) (15.18%). In addition, we identified 15 rare thalassemia variants. We also summarized the association between the thalassemia genotype and hematological parameters, which demonstrated the broad phenotypic heterogeneity caused by globin gene mutations. Conclusion: This is the first survey of thalassemia molecular epidemiology and hematological phenotype in Zhuhai region. It uncovered a high prevalence and complex molecular spectrum of thalassemia. These findings can be used as a basis for thalassemia diagnosis, counseling and prevention management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rapid estimation of above-ground biomass (AGB) with high accuracy is essential for monitoring crop growth status and predicting crop yield. Recently, remote sensing techniques using unmanned aerial systems (UASs) have exhibited great potential in obtaining structural information about crops and identifying spatial heterogeneity. However, methods of data fusion of different factors still need to be explored in order to enhance the accuracy of their estimates. Therefore, the objective of this study was to investigate the combined metrics of different variables (spectral, structural and meteorological factors) for AGB estimation of wheat using UAS multispectral data. UAS images were captured on two selected growing dates at a typical reclaimed cropland in the North China Plain. The spectral response was determined using the highly correlated vegetation index (VI). A structural metric, the canopy height model (CHM), was produced using UAS-based multispectral images. The measure of growing degree days (GDD) was selected as a meteorological proxy. Subsequently, a structurally–meteorologically weighted canopy spectral response metric (SM-CSRM) was derived by the pixel-level fusion of CHM, GDD and VI. Both correlation coefficient analysis and simple function fitting were implemented to explore the highest correlation between the measured AGB and each proposed metric. The optimal regression model was built for AGB prediction using leave-one-out cross-validation. The results showed that the proposed SM-CSRM generally improved the correlation between wheat AGB and various VIs and can be used for estimating the wheat AGB. Specifically, the combination of MERIS terrestrial chlorophyll index (MTCI), vegetation-masked CHM (mCHM) and normalized GDD (nGDD) achieved an optimal accuracy (R2 = 0.8069, RMSE = 0.1667 kg/m2, nRMSE = 19.62%) through the polynomial regression method. This improved the nRMSE by 3.44% compared to the predictor using MTCI × mCHM. Moreover, the pixel-level fusion method slightly enhanced the nRMSE by ~0.3% for predicted accuracy compared to the feature-level fusion method. In conclusion, this paper demonstrated that an SM-CSRM using pixel-level fusion with canopy spectral, structural and meteorological factors can obtain a good level of accuracy for wheat biomass prediction. This finding could benefit the assessment of reclaimed cropland or the monitoring of crop growth and field management in precision agriculture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: Prior studies have suggested causal relationships between obesity and acute cardiovascular events. It has been also known that the risk of acute cardiovascular events is reduced by bariatric surgery. However, little is known about whether bariatric surgery lowers the risk of acute cardiovascular events in patients with obesity and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). In this context, we aimed to investigate whether bariatric surgery is associated with a reduced risk of cardiovascular‐related acute care use in patients with HCM. Methods and results: In this population‐based study, the bariatric surgery group consisted of patients with HCM who underwent bariatric surgery from January 2004 to December 2014. The control group included those who have obesity and HCM and received non‐bariatric elective intra‐abdominal surgery during the same period. The outcome was cardiovascular‐related acute care use (i.e. emergency department (ED) visits or unplanned hospitalizations for cardiovascular disease) during a 1‐year post‐surgery period. We used the SPARCS database, a population‐based ED and inpatient database in New York State. We constructed logistic regression models with generalized estimating equations to compare the risk of the outcome events during sequential 6‐month post‐surgery periods. We adjusted for age, sex, number of ED visits and hospitalizations for cardiovascular disease within 2 years before the index surgery, and the Elixhauser co‐morbidity measures. We also performed propensity score (PS)‐matching and inverse probability treatment weighting analyses using these variables. The analytic cohort consisted of 207 adults with obesity and HCM, including 147 patients who underwent bariatric surgery and 60 in the control group. The risk was not significantly different in the 1–6 months post‐surgery period. By contrast, in the 7–12 months post‐surgery period, the risk of cardiovascular‐related acute care use was significantly lower in the bariatric surgery group (adjusted odds ratio 0.23; 95% CI 0.068–0.71; P = 0.01) compared with the control group. In the PS‐matched cohort, there were no significant differences in the baseline characteristics. The PS‐matched analysis demonstrated lower risk of the outcome event in the bariatric surgery group in the 7–12 months post‐surgery period. The inverse probability treatment weighting analysis replicated the findings. Conclusions: Bariatric surgery was associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular‐related acute care use in the 7–12 months post‐surgery period in this population‐based study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gastric cancer (GC) is one of the most serious gastrointestinal malignancies with high morbidity and mortality. The complexity of GC process lies in the multi‐phenotypic linkage regulation, in which regulatory cell death (RCD) is the core link, which largely dominates the fate of GC cells and becomes a key determinant of GC development and prognosis. In recent years, increasing evidence has been reported that natural products can prevent and inhibit the development of GC by regulating RCDs, showing great therapeutic potential. In order to further clarify its key regulatory characteristics, this review focused on specific expressions of RCDs, combined with a variety of signaling pathways and their crosstalk characteristics, sorted out the key targets and action rules of natural products targeting RCD. It is highlighted that a variety of core biological pathways and core targets are involved in the decision of GC cell fate, including the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway, MAPK‐related signaling pathways, p53 signaling pathway, ER stress, Caspase‐8, gasdermin D (GSDMD), and so on. Moreover, natural products target the crosstalk of different RCDs by modulating above signaling pathways. Taken together, these findings suggest that targeting various RCDs in GC with natural products is a promising strategy, providing a reference for further clarifying the molecular mechanism of natural products treating GC, which warrants further investigations in this area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Astrocyte activation is key in neurodegenerative diseases. Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) exhibits neuroprotective effects on astrocytes, although the underlying molecular mechanism remains unclear. Here, we explored the effects of H2S on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced astrocyte activation and astrocyte-mediated neuroinflammation. After inducing primary astrocytes via LPS exposure, H2S levels were altered. The generation and secretion of inflammatory mediators by astrocytes and their interrelation with P-glycoprotein (P-gp), an important transporter belonging to the ABC transporter family, were assessed. Activated astrocytes showed upregulated glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) mRNA expression, and significantly increased proinflammatory factor mRNA/protein expression and release. The secretory capacity of astrocytes was reduced, with significantly decreased proinflammatory factor levels in culture supernatant after P-gp inhibitor verapamil pretreatment. The increase in the intracellular H2S level inhibited LPS-induced GFAP expression and P65 nuclear entry in astrocytes. mRNA expression and release of proinflammatory factors were reduced significantly, with no significant changes in cytoplasmic protein expression. S-sulfhydration levels increased significantly with the increased concentration of sodium hydrosulfide or S-adenosyl-l-methionine addition, with only moderate changes in astrocyte P-gp expression. H2S regulates NF-κB activation, leads to S-sulfhydration of P-gp, and inhibits the biosynthesis and secretion of proinflammatory factors by astrocytes. The regulatory effects of H2S on astrocytes may have clinical value for exploring new therapeutic strategies against neurodegenerative diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The factors affecting the lubrication effect of a ball bearing without cage and containing a functional slot are analyzed, including the structural parameters of the functional slot, the speed of the rolling element, and the deformation of the contact surface, in order to establish the initial oil volume equation. Based on the multiple mesh method and Matlab programming, the established model is solved by obtaining the distribution rules of oil film pressure, oil film thickness, and oil film flow rate between the rolling element, the conventional raceway, and the functional slot under different speed conditions, and by determining the optimal functional slot depth. Finally, through an experiment performed to verify the lubrication effect of the lubricating oil in the functional slot, the results show that the lubricating oil in the functional slot can have a lubricating effect, and the initial amount of lubricating oil needed increases with an increase in speed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bearings with partial function grooves as cageless bearings related to magnetic floating bearing protection have characteristics, such as fast offsetting of the impact force caused by rotor fall, and they gradually become important parts of ultra clean and cryogenic transportation systems. However, the functional failure mechanism of the bearing, which is caused by functional groove wear, is not clear. Therefore, this paper establishes a force–motion intrinsic model of particles inside the functional groove, which is based on the discrete element method, which it itself combined with the functional groove damage evolution trend analysis. Then, a hyper-quadratic surface model of inter-particle contact is established to simulate the time-varying friction coefficient of the functional groove by combining particles of different sizes to form particle clusters. Additionally, as the boundary condition, EDEM is used to solve the contact motion state of rolling element rolling through the functional groove for one week to obtain the overlap between particles and contact force change law. The results show that the wide side of the functional groove wears more seriously than the narrow side, and the rolling element leaves the functional groove with more impact than when it enters the functional groove, and the functional groove wears more seriously. In this paper, through the study of local functional groove wear of cageless ball bearing, we propose to characterize the damage extension of functional groove by using the number of particle fracture and motion trend in discrete element method, and this study provides theoretical guidance for the design of cageless bearings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rapid advancement of the Internet has brought a exponential growth in network traffic. At present, devices deployed at edge nodes process huge amount of data, extract key features of network traffic and then forward them to the cloud server/data center. However, since the efficiency of mobile terminal devices in identifying and classifying encrypted and malicious traffic lags behind, how to identify network traffic more efficiently and accurately remains a challenging problem. We design a convolutional neural network model: One-dimensional convolutional neural network with hexadecimal data (HexCNN-1D) that combines normalized processing and attention mechanisms. By adding the attention mechanism modules Global Attention Block (GAB) and Category Attention Block (CAB), network traffic is classified and identified. By extracting effective load information from hexadecimal network traffic, our model can identify most categories of network traffic including encrypted and malicious traffic data. The experimental results show that the average accuracy is 98.8%. Our model can greatly improve the accuracy of network traffic data recognition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hot-rolled Al-Si alloy sheets are used to be formed Al alloy welding additions and cladding materials that are widely used in the aviation, automotive, and air conditioning industries. However, if parameters of hot-rolling process are not properly selected, porosity defects during casting will lead to cracks or fractures in Al-Si alloy sheets. This study based on meso-damage theory and established a damage equation describing porosity defects in the hot rolling process. The parameters of GTN (Gurson-Tvergaard-Needleman) void defect evolution, including the volume fraction of voids in different periods, the plastic equivalent variation of void nucleation, the standard variance of equivalent variation of void nucleation, and the correction coefficient of the material, are determined in this study. A finite element model of the porosity defects is developed based on the determined parameters. The finite element method is used to analyze the effect of different process parameters on the porosity defects and cracks in Al-Si alloy sheets during hot rolling, then we performed the hot rolling test to validate the results. The results show that the void stress and diameter are reduced and the quality of porosity defects is improved by decreasing rolling reductions and increasing the temperature. The optimized process parameters were a 20% depression and a temperature of 550°C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The spatial-temporal differentiation characteristics and driving mechanisms of ecosystem services are of great significance for optimizing the pattern of land spatial protection and realizing regional sustainable development. Existing studies seldom consider the segmental influence mechanism of various influencing factors on different levels of ecosystem service value (ESV). Therefore, this paper analyzes the temporal and spatial differentiation evolution characteristics of ESV in semiarid regions through an improved ESV evaluation model. The spatial panel quantile regression (SPQR) model was introduced to explore the relationship between various types of influencing factors and ESV in different intervals. The results showed the following: (1) The changes in ESV in Baotou City from 2000 to 2018 tended to be stable, but the spatial differentiation of ESV intensified. The aggregation feature of the low-ESV region is significant and gradually expanding. (2) Precipitation was the dominant factor increasing the ESV in each interval, and temperature had a significant negative impact on the low-ESV area. (3) Higher land use integrity accelerates the decline of ESV in the surrounding areas of built-up areas. The high-ESV area was more sensitive to the intensity of human activity. The direction of human activities should be effectively controlled, and the structure of comprehensive land use should be optimized to enhance the service function of regional ecosystems. This research provides new thinking for the ecological restoration zoning of regional territorial spatial planning and the sustainable development of resource-based cities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Co3ZnC can efficiently boost the activity of Co@N, O co-doped carbons for hydrogen evolution. The results show that moderate Co3ZnC plays key roles in achieving an appropriate weighted Co 3d band centre, enhancing charger transfer and thus optimizing the electrochemical active surface area. Thus, a low overpotential of ∼219 mV can drive a high current density of 1000 mA cm−2 under the favourable condition of moderate Co3ZnC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is essential to acquire sound speed profiles (SSPs) in high-precision spatiotemporal resolution for undersea acoustic activities. However, conventional observation methods cannot obtain high-resolution SSPs. Besides, SSPs are complex and changeable in time and space, especially in coastal areas. We proposed a new space-time multigrid three-dimensional variational method with weak constraint term (referred to as STC-MG3DVar) to construct high-precision spatiotemporal resolution SSPs in coastal areas, in which sound velocity is defined as the analytical variable, and the Chen-Millero sound velocity empirical formula is introduced as a weak constraint term into the cost function of the STC-MG3DVar. The spatiotemporal correlation of sound velocity observations is taken into account in the STC-MG3DVar method, and the multi-scale information of sound velocity observations from long waves to short waves can be successively extracted. The weak constraint term can optimize sound velocity by the physical relationship between sound velocity and temperature-salinity to obtain more reasonable and accurate SSPs. To verify the accuracy of the STC-MG3DVar, SSPs observations and CTD observations (temperature observations, salinity observations) are obtained from field experiments in the northern coastal area of the Shandong Peninsula. The average root mean square error (RMSE) of the STC-MG3DVar-constructed SSPs is 0.132 m/s, and the STC-MG3DVar method can improve the SSPs construction accuracy over the space-time multigrid 3DVar without weak constraint term (ST-MG3DVar) by 10.14% and over the spatial multigrid 3DVar with weak constraint term (SC-MG3DVar) by 44.19%. With the advantage of the constraint term and the spatiotemporal correlation information, the proposed STC-MG3DVar method works better than the ST-MG3DVar and the SC-MG3DVar in constructing high-precision spatiotemporal resolution SSPs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this experiment was to study the effects of oregano essential oil (OEO) on the performance, intestinal morphology and intestinal flora of fattening Sewa sheep. Sixty 20-month-old Sewa sheep with similar body weights (BWs) and in good health were randomly divided into four groups. The groups were fed a diet containing 0 mg/kg OEO (group A), 150 mg/kg (group B), 300 mg/kg (group C) or 450 mg/kg (group D). Daily gain, slaughter rate and other production performance parameters were analysed in the test sheep (mean ± standard error). Intestinal morphology was analysed by tissue sectioning, and intestinal flora was analysed by 16S rRNA genome sequencing. The indexes, including average daily gain (ADG), slaughter rate, villus length of the small intestine and number of beneficial bacteria in the intestinal flora, in group C were significantly higher than those in the other groups. Supplementation with 300 mg/kg OEO concentrate in the diets can improve the growth performance of Sewa sheep by changing their intestinal morphology and modifying their intestinal flora structure. Conclusively, these encourage to further verifying in practice positive evidence in improving growth performance of OEO supplementation in the diets for Sewa sheep. Oregano essential oil (OEO) can improve the performance of Sewa sheep by changing the intestinal morphology and regulating the intestinal flora structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The spontaneous combustion of coal gangue dumps after reclamation causes severe harm to the ecological environment surrounding mining areas. Using remote sensing technology to determine vegetation heat stress levels is an important way to evaluate the probability of a spontaneous combustion disaster. The canopy spectra and chlorophyll fluorescence (ChlF) parameters of alfalfa were collected through pot experiments to simulate different heat stress levels. Time series analyses of three ChlF (chlorophyll fluorescence) parameters showed that the regularity of the quantum efficiency of photosystem II (PSII) in light-adapted conditions ( Fv ′ / Fm ′ ) was stronger during the monitoring period. The correlation coefficients between the three ChlF parameters and the canopy raw spectrum, first derivative spectrum, and vegetation indices were calculated, and the spectral features were found to be more correlated. Lasso regression was used to further screen spectral features, and the optimal spectral features were the raw spectral value at 741 nm (abbreviated as RS (741)) and NDVI (652, 671). To discriminate among heat stress levels accurately and automatically, we built a time convolution neural network. The classification results showed that when the sequence length is 3, the heat stress is divided into three categories, and the model obtains the highest accuracy. In combination with relevant research conclusions on the temperature distribution law of spontaneous combustion in coal gangue dumps, three heat stress levels can be used to assess the potential of spontaneous combustion in coal gangue dumps after reclamation. The research results provide an important theoretical basis and technical support for early warnings regarding spontaneous combustion disasters in reclaimed coal gangue dumps. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Neuroblastoma (NB) is the most common extracranial solid tumor in children, and the majority of patients with high-risk disease are unable to be cured. There is an urgent need to design novel therapeutics for NB patients. In NB, the RAS-MAPK pathway plays a crucial role in essential processes such as cell proliferation, survival, and chemoresistance. In the present study, we determined the therapeutic potential of the ERK inhibitor ulixertinib in NB using a panel of NB cell lines, patient-derived xenograft (PDX) cell lines, and NB xenograft mouse models. Ulixertinib significantly and potently inhibited NB cell proliferation and tumor growth, as well as prolonged survival in the treated mice. Additionally, ulixertinib synergistically sensitized NB cells to the conventional chemotherapeutic drug doxorubicin. This study provides proof-of-concept pre-clinical evidence for exploring ulixertinib as a novel therapeutic approach for NB. Neuroblastoma (NB) is a pediatric tumor of the peripheral nervous system. Approximately 80% of relapsed NB show RAS-MAPK pathway mutations that activate ERK, resulting in the promotion of cell proliferation and drug resistance. Ulixertinib, a first-in-class ERK-specific inhibitor, has shown promising antitumor activity in phase 1 clinical trials for advanced solid tumors. Here, we show that ulixertinib significantly and dose-dependently inhibits cell proliferation and colony formation in different NB cell lines, including PDX cells. Transcriptomic analysis revealed that ulixertinib extensively inhibits different oncogenic and neuronal developmental pathways, including EGFR, VEGF, WNT, MAPK, NGF, and NTRK1. The proteomic analysis further revealed that ulixertinib inhibits the cell cycle and promotes apoptosis in NB cells. Additionally, ulixertinib treatment significantly sensitized NB cells to the conventional chemotherapeutic agent doxorubicin. Furthermore, ulixertinib potently inhibited NB tumor growth and prolonged the overall survival of the treated mice in two different NB mice models. Our preclinical study demonstrates that ulixertinib, either as a single agent or in combination with current therapies, is a novel and practical therapeutic approach for NB. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This paper uses numerical methods to investigate the collision and skidding of rolling elements in a cageless ball bearing. This paper aims to analyse the effects of the rotational speed and number of rolling elements on the rolling element collision and skidding. Design/methodology/approach: Based on Hertzian theory and tribological theory, the collision contact model of the rolling element was established. Based on the proposed model, the differential equations of motion of the two degrees of freedom rolling element were constructed. The fourth-order Adams algorithm solved the collision contact force between the rolling elements. The sliding velocity between the rolling element and the inner and outer races was calculated. Findings: The collision frequency and slip of rolling elements can be reduced by increasing the rotational speed appropriately and reducing the number of rolling elements by one. Originality/value: The developed model can reveal the collision and slip characteristics of the rolling elements for cageless bearings. This study can provide theoretical guidance for the design and manufacture of cageless ball bearings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cageless ball bearings are often preferred as a back-up bearing for active magnetic bearings to support a falling rotor, but the contact between the balls of the cageless ball bearing may lead to the deterioration of the bearing performance and affect the dynamic stability of the rotor system. Thus, we studied the discrete dynamics of cageless ball bearings. First, a model is proposed to change the groove curvature center of the local outer raceway to control the ball velocity to achieve dispersion. Combined with the spatial geometry theory, the mathematical model of the discrete raceway is established, the collision between the balls is considered as an abruptly added constraint, and the non-smooth dynamics equation of the cageless ball bearing with a local discrete raceway is established. Then, the fourth-order Adams prediction correction algorithm is used to numerically solve the dynamic discretization of the ball, and the structural parameters of the discrete raceway are preferably selected, according to the phase diagram of the ball and the change in the angular spacing. The results show that the structure of the discrete raceway has a strong influence on the discrete dynamics of the ball. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Graphitic carbon nitride (g-CN), as an orderly structured polymer derivative, has been widely concerned for its photocatalytic ability due to its metal-free nature and unique properties. However, the photoelectrochemical (PEC) application of g-CN is still hindered by the difficulty of forming high-quality films with good uniformity and crystallinity. Herein, we studied the rapid thermal vapor condensation (RTVC) for growing g-CN films with improved PEC activity. The polycondensation and polymerization reactions of precursor melamine molecules under the optimized temperature 600 °C and calcination time 20 min resulted in better crystallinity of g-CN films. Remarkably, the growth of g-CN film based on the coalescence of unambiguous hexagonal nanosheets was observed, as corroborated by scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. This novel RTVC method offers a fast and easy strategy for improving the crystallinity of g-CN films through controlling the thermal dynamics and kinetics of film growth from temperature and time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cageless ball bearings with discrete grooves in the outer raceway enable the dispersion of rolling elements. Once worn, the discrete groove can cause the rolling element to discretely fail. This paper presents the discrete element method to investigate the wear of discrete grooves in cageless bearings from the standpoint of bond fracture. In conjunction with the structural characteristics of bearing races with discrete slots, we propose a hexagonal close-spaced spherical particle arrangement, in which the discrete slots are discretized into particles of the same size that are connected by bonds. The contact model and contact force equation between the rolling elements and the aggregate elements are established, and the external force on the aggregate elements is calculated. Under the influence of an external force and the arrangement of particles in the aggregate element, the internal force transfer equation of different layers and different particles is derived, and the internal force of the particles in the aggregate unit is calculated. In accordance with Hertz–Mindline theory, the bonding model of discrete groove particles is established, the size of the particle shedding cohesive force during bond fracture is determined, and the wear degree of discrete grooves is characterized by comparing the cohesive force and internal force. Numerical solutions and wear tests are combined. Bond fracture can accurately characterize the wear of discrete grooves. This approach offers theoretical guidance for cageless bearing design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Ulcerative colitis (UC), a kind of autoimmune disease with unknown etiology, has been troubling human physical and mental health. Jatrorrhizine (Jat) is a natural isoquinoline alkaloid isolated from Coptis Chinensis, which has been proved to have antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and antitumor effects. Purpose. The purpose is to explore the therapeutic effect of Jat on DSS-induced UC and the mechanism of action. Study Design. The UC mice model was induced by 3% DSS in drinking water. The mice were orally administered with Jat (40, 80, 160 mg/kg) for 10 days. Methods. The changes in body weight, colon length, spleen wet weight index, disease activity index (DAI), colonic histopathology, and inflammatory factors of serum and colon tissue were analyzed to evaluate the severity of colitis mice. The colon mucus secretion capacity was analyzed by Alcian blue periodic acid Schiff (AB-PAS) staining. Furthermore, protein expressions such as TLR4, MyD88, p–NF–κB-p65, NF-κB-p65, COX-2, ZO-1, and Occludin were detected to elucidate the molecular mechanism of Jat on DSS-induced colitis model. Results. The results showed that Jat could significantly alleviate the symptoms, colon shortening, spleen index, and histological damage and restore the body weight in DSS-induced colitis mice. Jat also suppressed the levels of inflammatory cytokines and upregulated the levels of anti-inflammatory cytokines. In addition, Jat repaired the intestinal barrier function by upregulating the level of colonic tight junction (TJ) proteins and enhancing the secretion of mucin produced by goblet cells. Furthermore, Jat could significantly suppress the expression of TLR4, MyD88, p–NF–κB-p65/NF-κB-p65, and COX-2 in colon tissue. Conclusion. The results suggested that Jat plays a protective role in DSS-induced colitis by regulating the intestinal barrier function and inhibiting the TLR4/MyD88/NF-κB signaling pathway. This study, for the first time, demonstrates the therapeutic and protective effects of Jat on UC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The acquisition of high-quality surface images is an important step in the surface damage detection of bearing rollers. In order to improve the quality of image acquisition and take into account the acquisition efficiency, an image acquisition system is designed in this paper. Through the dynamic analysis method, it is proved that the amplitude of the roller itself has little effect on the image in the acquisition process. Subsequently, the response surface method is used to analyze the interactive effect of the light source intensity, incident angle and roller speed on the image quality, and the optimal acquisition parameter setting value suitable for this acquisition system is found. Finally, the image of the bearing cylindrical roller with surface defects is collected to obtain a clear surface image. This paper can provide reference for the design of high level image acquisition system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spontaneous combustion of coal waste dumps is one of the main problems in mining areas. This risk still exists even after land reclamation and ecological restoration. Once spontaneous combustion of a coal waste dump occurs after reclamation, it will lead to repeated land degradation and vegetation damage again. Focusing on this issue, a monitoring method using unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) RGB imagery based on alfalfa aboveground biomass (AGB) is proposed in this study. Two areas of a coal waste dump that suffered spontaneous combustion of coal waste after reclamation in Shanxi Province, China, were selected as the study area. Combined with the vegetation index and texture metrics extracted from UAV RGB imagery, the AGB was estimated using stepwise linear regression models. Finally, the intensity of spontaneous combustion was classified based on alfalfa AGB. In this study, our results show that: (i) the AGB estimation accuracy can be improved by combining the spectral and texture features [R2 = 0.86, root mean square error (RMSE) = 0.09 kg /m‐2, and mean absolute error (MAE) = 0.08 kg m‐2]; (ii) alfalfa AGB had a good ability to explain the underground thermal anomalies based on the deep soil temperature; (iii) Compared with the land surface temperature, alfalfa AGB was more suitable for monitoring the potential spontaneous combustion areas, especially in the initial stage, where spontaneous combustion has occurred but does not have a significant impact on the land surface. This study was intended to provide an improved method for detecting the spontaneous combustion monitoring of coal waste dumps, which may provide a reference for initial monitoring and prevention in mining areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With high groundwater levels, coal–grain overlap areas (CGOAs) are vulnerable to subsidence and water logging during mining activities, thereby impacting crop yields adversely. Such damage requires full reports of disturbed boundaries for agricultural reimbursement and ongoing reclamation, but because direct measurements are difficult in such cases because of vast unreachable areas, it is necessary to be able to identify out-of-production boundaries (OBs) and reduced-production boundaries (RBs) in the corresponding region. In this study, an OB was extracted by setting a threshold via the characteristics of the cultivated-land elevation based on a digital surface model and a digital orthophoto map generated using an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). Meanwhile, the above-ground biomass (AGB), the soil plant analysis development (SPAD) value of chlorophyll contents, and leaf area index (LAI) were used to select the appropriate vegetation indices (VIs) to produce a reduced-production map (RM) based on power regression (PR), exponential regression (ER), multiple linear regression (MR), and random forest (RF) algorithms. Finally, an improved Otsu segmentation algorithm was used to extract mild and severe RBs. The results showed the following. (1) Crop growth heights in a typical ponding basin of the CGOA rendered a fast and efficient approach to distinguishing the OB. (2) In subsequent sample modeling, the red-edge microwave VI (MVIredge), the normalized difference VI (NDVI), and the red-edge modified simple ratio index (MSRredge) combined with RF were shown to be optimal estimators for AGB (R2 = 0.83, RMSE = 0.114 kg·m−2); the red-edge NDVI (NDVIredge), the green NDVI (GNDVI), and the red-edge chlorophyll index (CIredge) acted as strong tools in SPAD prediction using RF (R2 = 0.83, RMSE = 0.152 SPAD); the red-edge modified simple ratio index (MSRredge), the GNDVI, and the green chlorophyll index (CIgreen) via MR were more accurate when conducting the inversion of LAI (R2 = 0.88, RMSE = 1.070). (3) With the improved Otsu algorithm, multiple degrees of RB extraction can be achieved in RM. This study provides reference methods and theoretical support for determining disturbed boundaries in CGOAs with high groundwater levels for further agricultural compensation and reclamation processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]