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The acceleration of climate warming has led to a faster solid–liquid water cycle and a decrease in solid water storage in cold regions of the Earth. Although snowfall is the most critical input for the cryosphere, the phenology of snowfall, or potential snowfall phenology (PSP), has not been thoroughly studied, and there is a lack of indicators for PSP. For this reason, we have proposed three innovative indicators, namely, the start of potential snowfall season (SPSS), the end of potential snowfall season (EPSS), and the length of potential snowfall season (LPSS), to characterize the PSP. We then explored the spatial–temporal variation in all three PSP indicators in the past, present, and future across the Chinese Tianshan mountainous region (CTMR) based on the observed daily air temperature from 26 meteorological stations during 1961–2017/2020 combined with data from 14 models from CMIP6 (Phase 6 of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project) under four different scenarios (SSP126, SSP245, SSP370, and SSP585, where SSP represents Shared Socioeconomic Pathway) during 2021–2100. The study showed that the SPSS, EPSS, and LPSS indicators could accurately describe the PSP characteristics across the study area. In the past and present, the potential snowfall season started on 2 November, ended on 18 March, and lasted for about 4.5 months across the CTMR on average. During 1961–2017/2020, the rate of advancing the EPSS (−1.6 d per decade) was faster than that of postponing the SPSS (1.2 d per decade). It was also found that there was a significant delay in the starting time (2–13 d) and advancement in the ending time (1–13 d), respectively, resulting in a reduction of 3–26 d for the LPSS. The potential snowfall season started earlier, ended later, and lasted longer in the north and center compared with the south. Similarly, the SPSS, EPSS, and LPSS indicators are also expected to vary under the four emission scenarios during 2021–2100. Under the highest emission scenario, SSP585, the starting time is expected to be postponed by up to 41 d, while the ending time is expected to be advanced by up to 23 d across the study area. This change is expected to reduce the length of the potential snowfall season by up to 61 d (about 2 months), and the length of the potential snowfall season will only last 2.5 months in the 2100s under the SSP585 scenario. The length of the potential snowfall season in the west and southwest of the CTMR will be compressed by more days due to a more delayed starting time and an advanced ending time under all four scenarios. This suggests that, with constant snowfall intensity, annual total snowfall may decrease, including the amount and frequency, leading to a reduction in snow cover or mass, which will ultimately contribute to more rapid warming through the lower reflectivity to solar radiation. This research provides new insights into capturing the potential snowfall phenology in the alpine region and can be easily extended to other snow-dominated areas worldwide. It can also help inform snowfall monitoring and early warning for solid water resources.

In this paper, we establish pointwise boundary ${{C}^{1,\alpha}}$ estimates for viscosity solutions of some degenerate fully nonlinear elliptic equations on ${C^{1,\alpha}}$ domains. Instead of straightening out the boundary, we utilize the perturbation and compactness techniques., Comment: 10 pages

Tobacco belongs to the family Solanaceae, which easily forms continuous cropping obstacles. Continuous cropping exacerbates the accumulation of autotoxins in tobacco rhizospheric soil, affects the normal metabolism and growth of plants, changes soil microecology, and severely reduces the yield and quality of tobacco. In this study, the types and composition of tobacco autotoxins under continuous cropping systems are summarized, and a model is proposed, suggesting that autotoxins can cause toxicity to tobacco plants at the cell level, plant-growth level, and physiological process level, negatively affecting soil microbial life activities, population number, and community structure and disrupting soil microecology. A combined strategy for managing tobacco autotoxicity is proposed based on the breeding of superior varieties, and this approach can be combined with adjustments to cropping systems, the induction of plant immunity, and the optimization of cultivation and biological control measures. Additionally, future research directions are suggested and challenges associated with autotoxicity are provided. This study aims to serve as a reference and provide inspirations needed to develop green and sustainable strategies and alleviate the continuous cropping obstacles of tobacco. It also acts as a reference for resolving continuous cropping challenges in other crops.

Additional file 3. Fig S1. Copy number variations and Sanger sequencing results of the embryo E1 and E3.

Additional file 2. Table S2. NGS-based SNP haplotyping results of the embryo E2.

Additional file 3. Fig S1. Copy number variations and Sanger sequencing results of the embryo E1 and E3.

Additional file 1. Specific surgical procedures for robot-assisted/laparoscopic inguinal lymphadenectomy.

In this paper, we establish pointwise boundary ${{C}^{1,α}}$ estimates for viscosity solutions of some degenerate fully nonlinear elliptic equations on ${C^{1,α}}$ domains. Instead of straightening out the boundary, we utilize the perturbation and compactness techniques., 10 pages

We show the nondegeneracy of positive bubble solutions for generalized energy-critical Hartree equations (NLH) \begin{equation*} -{\Delta u}\sts{x} -{\bm\alpha}\sts{N,\lambda} \int_{\R^N} { \frac{ u^{p}\sts{y}}{\pabs{\,x-y\,}{\lambda}} }\diff{y}\, u^{p-1}\sts{x} =0,\quad x\in \R^N \end{equation*} where $u(x)$ is a real-valued function, $N\geq 3$, $0, Comment: 26 pages. Any comment is welcome

Additional file 1. Table S1. Variants classification following ACMG guidelines.

Time series forecasting has received wide interest from existing research due to its broad applications and inherent challenging. The research challenge lies in identifying effective patterns in historical series and applying them to future forecasting. Advanced models based on point-wise connected MLP and Transformer architectures have strong fitting power, but their secondary computational complexity limits practicality. Additionally, those structures inherently disrupt the temporal order, reducing the information utilization and making the forecasting process uninterpretable. To solve these problems, this paper proposes a forecasting model, MPR-Net. It first adaptively decomposes multi-scale historical series patterns using convolution operation, then constructs a pattern extension forecasting method based on the prior knowledge of pattern reproduction, and finally reconstructs future patterns into future series using deconvolution operation. By leveraging the temporal dependencies present in the time series, MPR-Net not only achieves linear time complexity, but also makes the forecasting process interpretable. By carrying out sufficient experiments on more than ten real data sets of both short and long term forecasting tasks, MPR-Net achieves the state of the art forecasting performance, as well as good generalization and robustness performance.

PurposeChina's marine economy occupies an important position within the national economy, and its contribution thereto is constantly improving. The overall operation of the marine economy shows positive developmental trends with potential for further growth. The purpose of this research is to analyse the prosperity of China's marine economy, reveal trends therein and forecast the likely turning point in its operation.Design/methodology/approachBased on the periodicity and fluctuation of China's marine economy development, China's marine economic prosperity indicator system is established from five perspectives. On this basis, China's marine economic operation prosperity index can be synthesised and calculated, then a dynamic factor model is constructed. Using the filtering method to calculate China's marine economic operational Stock–Watson index, Markov switching has been used to determine the trend to transition. Furthermore, China's current marine economic prosperity is evaluated through analysis of influencing factors and correlation analysis.FindingsThe analysis shows that, from 2017 to 2019, the operation of the marine economy is relatively stable, and the prosperity index supports this finding; meanwhile it also exposes problems in China's marine economy, such as an unbalanced industrial structure, low marine economic benefits and insufficient capacity for sustainable development.Originality/valueThrough the analysis of the prosperity of China's marine economy, the authors reveal the trends in China's marine economy and forecast its likely future turning point.

Cholangiocarcinoma is a malignant tumor originating from the bile duct epithelium, with the increasing incidence year by year. Its early symptoms are atypical and the diagnosis rate is low. Most of the patients are already in advanced stage when they are diagnosed, losing the best surgery period. Currently, the conservative treatments for unresectable extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma include stent placement, radiofrequency ablation, radiotherapy and chemotherapy, targeted and immunotherapy and other systemic treatments. But due to the high malignancy of biliary tract tumors, the tendency to develop drug resistance and the limited population benefited from the emerging treatment modalities, we urgently need to explore new treatment strategies to break this bottleneck. As a new treatment for cholangiocarcinoma, photodynamic therapy has attracted much attention for its clinical application and therapeutic effects. In this paper, we summarize the principles of photodynamic therapy, the combination of photodynamic and other therapeutic modalities, especially the combination of photodynamic with emerging immune and targeted therapies, and describe the current hotspot directions of photodynamic therapy research at home and abroad to provide reference for clinical treatment and research.

Objectives: Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection causes a variety of intragastric and extragastric diseases. Despite its decreasing global prevalence, it remains a major public health problem in many developing countries. This study aimed to understand the prevalence of H. pylori infection and its risk factors in five cities of the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, an area with high incidence of gastric cancer. Methods: Cross-sectional studies were conducted in Ningxia from 2017 and 2022, to detect the prevalence of H. pylori using the (14)C urea breath test. All participants completed a questionnaire that included demographics, personal habits, household economic characteristics, and previous health status. Multiple logistic regression analyses were used to identify independent factors for H. pylori infection. Results: Our findings demonstrated that the prevalence of H. pylori infection in Ningxia decreased significantly from 60.3% in 2017 to 43.6% in 2022, with an increase in public awareness rate from 35.9% in 2017 to 68.5% in 2022. The lowest infection rate was found in Zhongwei and highest in Guyuan. The prevalence of H. pylori infection was higher among Hui ethnicity, farmers, individuals living in rural areas, individuals with lower income, low education, and those who consumed less fruit. Gallbladder, respiratory, cardiovascular and autoimmune diseases were not associated with H. pylori infection. Conclusions: The prevalence of H. pylori in Ningxia decreased in the past five years. Ethnicity, location, occupation, income, education, and consumption of fruits were independent risk factors for H. pylori infection in Ningxia. It was not associated with extra-gastric disease.

Oligoasthenoteratozoospermia is a human infertility syndrome caused by defects in spermatogenesis, spermiogenesis, and sperm maturation, and its etiology remains unclear. Kelch-like 10 (KLHL10) is a component of ubiquitin ligase E3 10 (KLHL10) and plays an important role in male fertility. Deletion or mutation of the Klhl10 gene in Drosophila or mice results in defects in spermatogenesis or sperm maturation. However, the molecular mechanisms by which KLHL10 functions remain elusive. In this study, we identified a missense mutation (c.1528A→G, p.I510V) in exon 5 of KLHL10, which is associated with oligoasthenoteratozoospermia in humans. To investigate the effects of this mutation on KLHL10 function and spermatogenesis and/or spermiogenesis, we generated mutant mice duplicating the amino acid conversion using the clustered regularly interspaced palindromic repeat/caspase 9 (CRISPR/Cas9) system and designated them Klhl10I510V mice. However, the Klhl10I510V mice did not exhibit any defects in testis development, spermatogenesis, or sperm motility at ten-weeks-of-age, suggesting that this mutation does not disrupt the KLHL10 function, and may not be the cause of male infertility in the affected individual with oligoasthenoteratozoospermia.

Surgical methods for treating spasmodic torticollis include denervation and myotomy (DAM) of the affected muscles, and deep brain stimulation (DBS). This study reports on the long-term efficacy, prognostic factors, safety, and hospitalization costs following these two procedures. We collected data from 94 patients with spasmodic torticollis, of whom 41 and 53 were treated with DAM and DBS, respectively, from June 2008 to December 2020 at the Chinese People’s Liberation Army General Hospital. We used the Tsui scale and the global outcome score of the Toronto Western Spasmodic Torticollis Rating Scale (TWSTRS) to evaluate the preoperative and postoperative clinical condition in all patients. We also determined the cost of hospitalization, prognostic factors, and serious adverse events following the two surgical procedures. The mean follow-up time was 68.83 months (range = 13–116). Both resection surgery and DBS showed good results in terms of Tsui (Z = -5.103, P = 0.000; Z = -6.210, P = 0.000) and TWSTRS scores (t = 8.762, P = 0.000; Z = -6.308, P = 0.000). Compared with the DAM group, the preoperative (47.71, range 24–67.25) and postoperative (18.57, range 0–53) TWSTRS scores in the DBS group were significantly higher (Z = -3.161, P = 0.002). We found no correlation between prognostic factors and the patient age, gender, or disease duration for either surgical procedure. However, prognostic factors were related to the length of the postoperative follow-up period in the DBS surgery group (Z = -2.068, P = 0.039; Z = -3.287, P = 0.001). The mean hospitalization cost in the DBS group was 6.85 times that found in the resection group (Z = -8.284, P = 0.000). The total complication rate was 4.26%. We found, both resection surgery and DBS, showed good results in the patients with spasmodic torticollis. Although DBS had a greater impact on the quality of life and the degree of pain relief, it was more expensive. Prognostic factors were related to the length of the postoperative follow-up period in patients who underwent DBS surgery.

Growing demands stimulate the intensification of production and create the need for practices that are both economically viable and environmentally sustainable. As European Union banned the use of antibiotics in production in 2003, several alternative treatments have been suggested, including probiotics. The first probiotic study in aquaculture was published in 1986, and since then probiotics have been considered as a beneficial tool in this industry. Today current evidence suggests that administration of certain probiotic strains might be able to enhance growth rate, improve the welfare of different fish species by modulating gut microbiota, improve physiological functions, such as metabolism, digestion, immunity, stress tolerance, intestinal histology, and disease resistance. Even though lactic acid bacteria and Bacillus spp. are the most frequently used probiotics in aquaculture, numerous studies have been published on other interesting probiotics. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to summarize, comment, and discuss the current knowledge related to the effects of Aeromonas, Aliivibrio, Alteromonas, Arthrobacter, Bifidobacterium, Brochothrix, Clostridium, Enterovibrio, Kocuria, Microbacterium, Micrococcus, Paenibacillus, Phaeobacter, Pseudoalteromonas, Pseudomonas, Rhodococcus, Rhodopseudomonas, Rhodosporidium, Roseobacter, Shewanella and Vibrio as probiotics in finfish aquaculture, and present general information on their presence in the gastrointestinal tract of finfish. Moreover, some considerations for future studies are also indicated.

Two new chromone derivatives (1 and 2), together with four known (3–6) ones, were isolated from the stems of a local sun cured tobacco (Fenghuang tobacco, widely cultivated in Shifang prefecture, Sichuan Province). Their structures were elucidated by spectroscopic methods, including extensive 1D and 2D NMR techniques. Compounds 1 and 2 were tested for their anti-tobacco mosaic virus (anti-TMV) activity. The results showed that compounds 1 and 2 exhibited high anti-TMV activities with inhibition rates of 35.8 and 28.6% at the concentration of 20 μM. These rates are close to that of the positive control.

Ammonia is a potential hydrogen carrier and can be used as an alternative fuel. In this study, plasma cooperative catalytic synthesis ammonia was used. The catalyst consisted of Ni impregnated into silica, using one of three complexing agents (TEPA, EDTA and GLY) and compared with conventional impregnation methods. The unsaturated coordinated Ni(tepa)2+ will coordinate with the hydroxyl groups on the silica surface. When using the catalyst prepared by TEPA, the ammonia synthesis rate was 3.8 times higher than with no catalyst, and 1.4 times higher than the catalyst made by conventional impregnation method. XRD and TEM show that the catalyst prepared using TEPA exhibited the smaller metal particle size, the higher dispersion and the stronger interaction between metal and support than other catalysts. XPS indicate that the good metal dispersion of the catalyst facilitate form more Ni3N during the reaction, which will greatly improve the activity of the catalyst.

Alzheimer's disease is a neurological disorder characterized by progressive cognitive dysfunction and behavioral impairment that occurs in old. Early diagnosis and treatment of Alzheimer's disease is great significance. Electroencephalography (EEG) signals can be used to detect Alzheimer's disease due to its non-invasive advantage. To solve the problem of insufficient analysis by single-channel EEG signal, we analyze the relationship between multiple channels and build PLV framework. To solve the problem of insufficient representation of 1D signal, a threshold-free recursive plot convolution network was constructed to realize 2D representation. To solve the problem of insufficient EEG signal characterization, a fusion algorithm of clinical features and imaging features was proposed to detect Alzheimer's disease. Experimental results show that the algorithm has good performance and robustness.

Efficient railway transportation systems are very important for economic development of countries. Although extensive research has been conducted on railway efficiency in developed countries, however, such studies for developing economies in general and Pakistan is lacking. Here, we used data envelopment analysis (DEA) to evaluate the technical, pure technical and scale efficiencies of Pakistan railways from 1950 to 2016 and super efficiency model is employed to rank the efficient DMUs. This study uses seven internal factors and three externals factors to analyse efficiency. The empirical result indicates that there are five DMUs with an overall technical efficiency value of 1. The Pakistan railways operate at 86.8% level of overall technical efficiency i.e., inputs could be decreased by 13.2% without sacrificing output if all DMUs were efficient. Furthermore, the contribution of scale inefficiency in overall technical inefficiency has been observed to be smaller than what has been observed due to pure technical inefficiency (managerial inefficiency). The results of the Tobit regression model suggest that economic development and trade have positive effects on technical efficiency while the growth of highways affects it negatively as external factors.

An efficiency evaluation is one of the most significant tools of transportation performance assessment and is of particular importance to decision making units to consider efficiency issues. The experience of Turkey can be used to compare and improve the efficiency of rail performance. The study employs both of radial and non-radial of data envelopment analysis method, where efficiency scores and technical efficiency of rail performance were ranked and compared over period 1977–2017. The study was fulfilled that Turkey rail is more capable in terms of exploiting its transport indicators into useful outputs. The outcomes indicated that the rail performance was operating most effectively, and the most efficient years were 1977, 1978, 1979, 1984, 1985, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1993, 2008, 2010, 2011, 2014, 2015, 2016, and 2017, whereas it exhibited relative inefficiency throughout 2001–2002, in which the efficiency scores decreased in relation to other years.

The dynamics of a self-rewetting film falling along a vertical fiber under the influence of gravity are considered. The evolution equation of the interface of the self-rewetting film is established in the framework of a long-wave approximation theory. The effect of thermocapillarity (Marangoni effect) on the absolute/convective instability (AI/CI) is investigated for self-rewetting fluids of which the surface tension is a quadratic function of the temperature at the surface. The effect of thermocapillarity on the Rayleigh-Plateau instability is investigated by examining the dispersion relation. The characteristics of self-rewetting fluids are considered for different Marangoni numbers (Ma) in different regions of absolute/convective instability using a spatio-temporal stability analysis. Numerical simulations of the nonlinear evolution in various regions of absolute/convective instability are also performed. The results of numerical simulations are in excellent agreement with the spatio-temporal stability analysis. The effect of thermocapillarity on absolute and convective instability depends on the difference between the temperature at the interface $\bar {\varTheta }_{i}$ , and the temperature corresponding the minimum surface tension Θ0. The results indicate that the thermocapillarity suppresses the absolute instability and enhances the convective instability as Ma increases when $\bar {\varTheta }_{i}-{\varTheta }_{0}> 0$ , and enhances the absolute instability as Ma increases when $\bar {\varTheta }_{i}-{\varTheta }_{0}< 0$ .

Nematode-trapping (NT) fungi can form unique infection structures (traps) to capture and kill free-living nematodes and, thus, can play a potential role in the biocontrol of nematodes. Arthrobotrys oligospora is a representative species of NT fungi. Here, we performed a time course transcriptome sequencing (RNA-seq) analysis of transcriptomes to understand the global gene expression levels of A. oligospora during trap formation and predation. We identified 5,752 unique differentially expressed genes, among which the rac gene was significantly upregulated. Alternative splicing events occurred in 2,012 genes, including the rac and rho2 gene. Furthermore, we characterized three Rho GTPases (Rho2, Rac, and Cdc42) in A. oligospora using gene disruption and multiphenotypic analysis. Our analyses showed that AoRac and AoCdc42 play an important role in mycelium growth, lipid accumulation, DNA damage, sporulation, trap formation, pathogenicity, and stress response in A. oligospora. AoCdc42 and AoRac specifically interacted with components of the Nox complex, thus regulating the production of reactive oxygen species. Moreover, the transcript levels of several genes associated with protein kinase A, mitogen-activated protein kinase, and p21-activated kinase were also altered in the mutants, suggesting that Rho GTPases might function upstream from these kinases. This study highlights the important role of Rho GTPases in A. oligospora and provides insights into the regulatory mechanisms of signaling pathways in the trap morphogenesis and lifestyle transition of NT fungi. IMPORTANCE Nematode-trapping (NT) fungi are widely distributed in terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. Their broad adaptability and flexible lifestyles make them ideal agents for controlling pathogenic nematodes. Arthrobotrys oligospora is a model species employed for understanding the interaction between fungi and nematodes. Here, we revealed that alternative splicing events play a crucial role in the trap development and lifestyle transition in A. oligospora. Furthermore, Rho GTPases exert differential effects on the growth, development, and pathogenicity of A. oligospora. In particular, AoRac is required for sporulation and trap morphogenesis. In addition, our analysis showed that Rho GTPases regulate the production of reactive oxygen species and function upstream from several kinases. Collectively, these results expand our understanding of gene expression and alternative splicing events in A. oligospora and the important roles of Rho GTPases in NT fungi, thereby providing a foundation for exploring their potential application in the biocontrol of pathogenic nematodes.

In this paper, we establish boundary $W^{2,\delta}$ estimates for $u\in S(\lambda,\Lambda,f)$ on $C^{1,\alpha}$ domains with $f\in L^p$ as $n, Comment: 9 pages. arXiv admin note: text overlap with arXiv:2201.01975

In this paper, a new method is represented to investigate boundary $W^{2,p}$ estimates for elliptic equations, which is, roughly speaking, to derive boundary $W^{2,p}$ estimates from interior $W^{2,p}$ estimates by Whitney decomposition. Using it, $W^{2,p}$ estimates on $C^{1,\alpha}$ domains are obtained for nondivergence form linear elliptic equations and further more, fully nonlinear elliptic equations are also considered., Comment: 17 pages

In this paper, a new method is represented to investigate boundary $W^{2,p}$ estimates for elliptic equations, which is, roughly speaking, to derive boundary $W^{2,p}$ estimates from interior $W^{2,p}$ estimates by Whitney decomposition. Using it, $W^{2,p}$ estimates on $C^{1,\alpha}$ domains are obtained for nondivergence form linear elliptic equations and further more, fully nonlinear elliptic equations are also considered., 17 pages

In this paper, we establish boundary $W^{2,δ}$ estimates for $u\in S(λ,Λ,f)$ on $C^{1,α}$ domains with $f\in L^p$ as $n, 9 pages. arXiv admin note: text overlap with arXiv:2201.01975

Additional file 1.

Additional file 1.

We prove that any positive solution for the critical nonlinear Hartree equation $$-\Laplacian\fct{u}{x} -\int_{\R^6} \frac{\abs{\fct{u}{y}}^2 }{ \abs{x-y}^4 }\odif{y} \,\fct{u}{x}=0,\qtq{} x\in\R^6.$$ is nondegenerate. Firstly, in terms of spherical harmonics, we show that the corresponding linear operator can be decomposed into a series of one dimensional linear operators. Secondly, by making use of the Perron-Frobenius property, we show that the kernel of each one dimensional linear operator is finite. Finally, we show that the kernel of the corresponding linear operator is the direct sum of the kernel of all one dimensional linear operators., 14 pages. Comments are welcome

Hypoxia is not only the reason of tumor metastasis but also enhances the spread of cancer cells from the original tumor site, which results in cancer recurrence. Herein, we developed a self-assembled RNA hydrogel that efficiently delivered synergistic DNA CpG and short hairpin RNA (shRNA) adjuvants, as well as MnO2 loaded-photodynamic agent chlorine e6 (MnO2@Ce6), and a chemotherapy drug doxorubicin (DOX) into MDA-MB-231cells. The RNA hydrogel consists of one tumour suppressor miRNA (miRNA-205) and one anti-metastatic miRNA (miRNA-182), both of which showed an outstanding effect in synergistically abrogating tumours. The hydrogel would be dissociated by endogenous Dicer enzyme to release loaded therapeutic molecules, and in the meantime induce decomposition of tumor endogenous H2O2 to relieve tumor hypoxia. As a result, a remarkable synergistic therapeutic effect is achieved through the combined chemo-photodynamic therapy, which simultaneously triggers a series of anti-tumor immune responses. Besides, the hydrogel as the carrier which modified aptamer to targeted MDA-MB-231 has the advantages of good biocompatibility and low cytotoxicity. This strategy could be implemented to design any other microRNA (miRNA) as the carrier, combined with other treatment methods to treat human cancer, thereby overcoming the limitations of current cancer therapies.

This study focused on monitoring the dynamics of bacterial communities and assessment of the influences of physicochemical parameters during a culture cycle in black carp polyculture ponds. Our results showed high variation in microbial diversity and microbial composition in the water column during the culture period. Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, and Bacteroidetes were the most abundant phyla, while the abundances of the phyla Cyanobacteria, Firmicutes, and Bacteroidetes changed in different months. Moreover, 13 abundant genera with significant difference were found between different months. Thus, samples in different months were divided into three groups according to principal coordinate analysis (PCoA) and unweighted pair-group method (UPGMA) clustering results. RDA showed that total nitrogen (TN), total phosphorus (TP), phosphate (PO43−-P), nitrate (NO3−-N), temperature (T), dissolved oxygen (DO), and pH significantly shaped the microbial community composition in different months. While Pearson correlation coefficient showed that T, SD, and pH were strongly correlated to the dominant genera. Considering some genera are potential pathogenic bacteria, we could manage the black carp pond by quickly monitoring the water temperature and SD in the future.

Multispectral remote sensing images have shown unique advantages in many fields, including military and civilian use. Facing the difficulty in processing cloud contaminated remote sensing images, this paper proposes a multispectral remote sensing image enhancement algorithm. A model is constructed from the aspects of cloud detection and image enhancement. In the cloud detection stage, clouds are divided into thick clouds and thin clouds according to the cloud transmitability in multi-spectral images, and a multi-layer cloud detection model is established. From the perspective of traditional image processing, a bimodal pre-detection algorithm is constructed to achieve thick cloud extraction. From the perspective of deep learning, the MobileNet algorithm structure is improved to achieve thin cloud extraction. Faced with the problem of insufficient training samples, a self-supervised network is constructed to achieve training, so as to meet the requirements of high precision and high efficiency cloud detection under the condition of small samples. In the image enhancement stage, the area where the ground objects are located is determined first. Then, from the perspective of compressed sensing, the signal is analyzed from the perspective of time and frequency domains. Specifically, the inter-frame information of hyperspectral images is analyzed to construct a sparse representation model based on the principle of compressed sensing. Finally, image enhancement is achieved. The experimental comparison between our algorithm and other algorithms shows that the average Area Overlap Measure (AOM) of the proposed algorithm reaches 0.83 and the Average Gradient (AG) of the proposed algorithm reaches 12.7, which is better than the other seven algorithms by average AG 2.

Over the past few decades, it has been demonstrated that hyperglycemia can promote lung carcinoma growth, potentially through significantly increased glucose metabolism; however, the underlying mechanism remains to be fully elucidated. In the present study, treatment with a high concentration of glucose (HG) significantly promoted the proliferation and migration of A549 cells. Receptor for advanced glycation end‑products (RAGE) has previously been demonstrated to be associated with diabetes mellitus and oxidative stress, and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate oxidases (NOXs) are considered to be initiating factors of oxidative stress. Therefore, an MTT assay, wound‑healing assay, quantitative polymerase chain reaction and western blotting assays were used to analyze the RAGE‑NOX‑4 pathway and to determine its potential involvement in glycometabolism‑associated tumorigenesis. The present study demonstrated that HG could increase the protein expression of RAGE and NOX‑4, whereas the inhibitor of RAGE (anti‑RAGE antibody) could suppress this effect. Futhermore, the inhibitor of NOX [diphenyl iodonium chloride (DPI)] could reduce the protein expression of RAGE and NOX‑4. Furthermore, inhibition of RAGE led to the downregulation of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and hypoxia‑inducible factor‑1α (HIF‑1α), thus suggesting that HG may influence angiogenesis and tumor metabolism via the RAGE‑NOXs pathway. The present study also demonstrated that the RAGE‑blocking antibody downregulated NOX‑4 and subsequently reduced the production of downstream inflammatory factors, whereas DPI did not affect the mRNA expression of RAGE but it did reduce the protein level of RAGE and then attenuate the inflammatory response. These results indicated that inhibition of RAGE or NOXs may promote the reduced expression of VEGF and HIF‑1α, and NOXs may be downstream targets of RAGE, thus indicating a HG‑RAGE‑NOXs‑VEGF/HIF‑1α association. Furthermore, the results indicated that HG may serve a role in the development of lung adenocarcinoma, mediated by the RAGE‑oxidative stress pathway; therefore, the regulation of this glucose‑associated pathway may be a promising novel direction for oncotherapy. However, while certain antidiabetic agents have been verified to exert inhibitory effects on tumor growth, they can also have long‑term adverse effects on the body, which may limit the value of these drugs as anticancer treatments. In conclusion, the present study suggested a novel attempt to suppress glucose‑induced tumor growth using a RAGE inhibitor such as soluble RAGE while avoiding the risk of glucose fluctuation.

Schizopygopsis younghusbandi is an endemic fish of Tibet characterized by slow growth. Artificial stock enhancement was applied to rebuild the natural population of S. younghusbandi in recent years. However, the optimal growth temperature and thermal tolerance of S. younghusbandi has not been studied, which restricts the production of S. younghusbandi fingerling for stock enhancement. The purpose of this paper is to determine the growth, critical thermal maximum (CTMax), lethal thermal maximum (LTMax) and acclimation response ratio (ARR) of S. younghusbandi juveniles (body weight 5.7 ± 1.2 g) at three acclimation temperature levels (10, 15, 20°C). The results showed that acclimation temperature significantly affected the growth, CTMax, LTMax and ARR of the experimental fish. Largest final weight (7.5 ± 2.3 g) was recorded in 15°C group. At a heating rate of 1°C/30 min, CTMax ranged from 30.98 to 32.01°C and LTMax ranged from 31.76 to 32.31°C in the three acclimation temperatures. Schizopygopsis younghusbandi had lower ARR value (0.097) than most other fish species. Low ARR value indicates that S. younghusbandi may have narrower thermal tolerance range and weaker acclimation ability to global warming. For successful aquaculture of S. younghusbandi juveniles, temperature should be maintained around 15°C.

Objective To assess the efficacy of bundle care for improving postoperative urinary control in patients receiving radical cystectomy and orthotopic ileal neobladder reconstruction. Methods Between January, 2014 and December, 2016, 60 patients with bladder cancer undergoing radical cystectomy and orthotopic ileal neobladder reconstruction in our department were randomly assigned into control group and bundle care group (n=30). In the control group, the patients were provided with routine instructions and training at discharge, and those in the bundle care group received additional interventions including training of the pelvic floor muscles and trainings for changing the manner of urination, increasing abdominal pressure by Valsalva breathing during urination, and keeping the voiding diary. The patients were followed up regularly and at 3, 6, and 12 months after the surgery, the urine dynamics, maximum and mean urinary flow rate, neobladder capacity and residual urine volume, renal functions and patient's satisfaction with urination were assessed and compared between the two groups. Results At 3, 6, and 12 months after the surgery, the patients in the bundle care group showed significantly greater maximum and mean urinary flow rate and neobladder capacity (P < 0.01) with smaller residual urine volume (P < 0.01) and better satisfaction with urination both in daytime and at night (P < 0.05) than those in the control group. Conclusion Bundle care interventions can effectively improve postoperative urinary control and promote functional recovery of the neobladder in patients receiving radical cystectomy and orthotopic ileal neobladder reconstruction for bladder cancer.

Purpose Research on grey systems is becoming more sophisticated, and grey relational and prediction analyses are receiving close review worldwide. Particularly, the application of grey systems in marine economics is gaining importance. The purpose of this paper is to summarize and review literature on grey models, providing new directions in their application in the marine economy. Design/methodology/approach This paper organized seminal studies on grey systems published by Chinese core journal database – CNKI, Web of Science and Elsevier from 1982 to 2018. After searching the aforementioned database for the said duration, the authors used the CiteSpace visualization tools to analyze them. Findings The authors sorted the studies according to their countries/regions, institutions, keywords and categories using the CiteSpace tool; analyzed current research characteristics on grey models; and discussed their possible applications in marine businesses, economy, scientific research and education, marine environment and disasters. Finally, the authors pointed out the development trend of grey models. Originality/value Although researches are combining grey theory with fractals, neural networks, fuzzy theory and other methods, the applications, in terms of scope, have still not met the demand. With the increasingly in-depth research in marine economics and management, international marine economic research has entered a new period of development. Grey theory will certainly attract scholars’ attention, and its role in marine economy and management will gain considerable significance.

Heart failure (HF) is a disease that is harmful to human health. Recent advances in machine learning yielded new techniques to train deep neural networks, which resulted in highly successful applications in many pattern recognition tasks such as object detection and speech recognition. To improve the diagnostic accuracy of HF staging, this study evaluates the performance of deep learning-based models on combined features for its categorization. We proposed a novel deep convolutional neural network-Recurrent neural network (CNN-RNN) model for automatic staging of heart failure diseases in real-time and dynamically. We employed the data segmentation and data augmentation pre-processing dataset to make the classification performance of the proposed architecture better. Specifically, this paper use convolutional neural network (CNN) as a feature extractor instead of training the entire network to extract the characteristics of the electrocardiogram (ECG) signals and form a feature set. We combine the above feature set with other clinical features, feed the combined features to RNN for classification, and finally obtain 5 classification results. Experiments shows that the CNN-RNN model proposed in this paper achieved an accuracy of 97.6%, the sensitivity of 96.3%, specificity of 97.4% and proportion of 97.1% for two seconds of ECG segments. We obtained an accuracy, sensitivity, specificity and proportion of 96.2%, 96.9%, 95.7%, and 94.3% respectively for five seconds of ECG duration. The model can be used as an aid to help clinicians confirm their diagnosis.

As a teleost- and gonad-specific growth factor, gsdf has been indicated to play an important role in sex differentiation and determination. In this study, the complete open reading frame (ORF) of gsdf was isolated from black rockfish, Sebastes schlegelii. Bioinformatics analysis showed that there is a conserved transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) domain located on the C-terminus of Gsdf. Multiple sequence alignments revealed that fish gsdf were highly conserved in TGF-β domain which suggested their functional conservatism. Synteny analysis provided evidence for the hypothesis that gsdf was originated from fish-specific genome duplication (FSGD). To further explore its function, the expression pattern was examined based on the RNA-seq data and the result showed that significantly sexually dimorphic expression existing between male and female individuals. These results suggested that gsdf might play an important role in maintenance of male characteristics in Sebastes schlegelii.

3aα-H-4α-(3′-Propionic acid)-5α-hydroxy-7aβ-methylhexahydro-1-indanone-δ-lactone (sitolactone, or HIL) and 3aα-H-4α-(3′-propionic acid)-7aβ-methylhexahydro-1,5-indanedione (HIP) are important intermediates for the synthesis of a variety of steroidal medicines with an α-methyl group or without the methyl group at the C10-position. Although they can be prepared by chemical synthesis or microbial transformation of steroids, their low efficiency and the formation of by-products limit their application. In this study, by investigating the degradation pathway of steroidal C/D rings and analyzing the metabolites in the catabolism of phytosterols by the genetically modified strains ΔfadD3 and ΔfadE30 of Mycobacterium fortuitum (ATCC 6841), two carboxylic acid reductase genes (car1 and car2) were identified to be involved in the degradation of HIP. The inactivation of these two car genes in strains ΔfadD3 or ΔfadE30 blocked the generation of other metabolites and enhanced the accumulation of HIP or HIL, respectively. At the preparative scale, the recombinant strains transformed phytosterols into HIP or HIL at 20 g L−1 substrate concentration in 88% or 75% yields, respectively, without detectable by-products. This offers an economically feasible and green process for the industrial production of these important intermediates from bio-renewable phytosterols, cheap and abundant by-products of the plant oil industry.

The rail industry is faced with rising competitive and cost pressures that call for considerable improvements in consistency, operating efficiency, and rail safety. In this article, Turkey's rail safety was evaluated by using a data envelopment analysis model with CRS (CCR), VRS (BCC) analysis in comparison to the EU countries. A section of input‐oriented analyses was performed, and efficiency scores were ranked in two different ways to verify the different rail parameters with the aim of minimizing the number of rail accidents and the number of fatalities in accidents. The study concluded that Turkey is more capable than the EU countries in terms of exploiting its railway indicators.

This study aimed to analyze the association between background parenchymal enhancement (BPE) in the contralateral breast tissue on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and clinicopathologic parameters in patients with unilateral breast carcinoma and to investigate its potential prognostic significance. A total of 467 patients who were pathologically confirmed to have unilateral breast cancer and underwent breast MRI were recruited to participate in this cohort study. BPE was assessed in the healthy contralateral breast. Minimal and mild levels were classified as low BPE, whereas moderate and marked levels were classified as high BPE. The effects of BPE on clinicopathologic parameters, overall survival (OS), and invasive disease-free survival (IDFS) were determined. Among the 467 patients, 327 cases were classified into the low-BPE group, whereas 140 cases were classified into the high-BPE group. The high-BPE pattern markedly correlated with age at diagnosis, menopausal status, histologic grading, and estrogen receptor status. BPE pattern did not correlate with OS and IDFS in the entire breast cancer cohort, regardless of whether adjuvant chemotherapy was received. Notably, BPE in the healthy contralateral breast on MRI is markedly related to OS and IDFS in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) cases who received chemotherapy. High BPE is related to chemotherapeutic benefits and can be an independent favorable prognostic factor for TNBC patients. Thus, our observations suggest that high BPE pattern can potentially be used as an imaging biomarker for relatively favorable prognosis in TNBC cases receiving chemotherapy. However, the findings need to be verified in a large-scale study.

The problem of land ecological security directly threatens the sustainable development of many regions, and exploring the spatio-temporal characteristics of land ecological security is helpful for analyzing the land ecological patterns between regions and over time. Based on the interpretation of remote sensing image data for Tianjin in 1980, 2000, 2010 and 2019, supported by software such as ArcGIS and GeoDa, the changes of land use in the study area are calculated by using the land use dynamic degree. Then, the land ecological security index and spatial autocorrelation analysis methods are used to study the spatial correlations and internal heterogeneity of land ecological security in each district in Tianjin. The results show that: (1) The land use of Tianjin has changed dramatically in the past 40 years: the building land has been expanding, while the farmland and barren have been shrinking continuously. (2) The overall level of land ecological security is in the high security area, and Jizhou District is the highest, while the Central areas and Binhai are low. (3) The spatial heterogeneity of land ecological security is not obvious, but the spatial agglomeration is strong.

In this study, the eutrophication levels and nitrogen and phosphorus carrying capacities of Lake Changhu in Jingzhou, Hubei Province, China, were measured using the trophic level index (TLI) and Dillon model for the first time. The measurements were taken before (2013 and 2015) and after (2017 and 2018) the removal of pen aquaculture from the lake. The lake was divided into three districts: Lake Haizihu, Mahongtai Channel, and Lake Dahu. The results showed total nitrogen (TN), chemical oxygen demand (COD), chlorophyll a (Chl-a), and total suspended solid values were significantly higher in 2017 than in the other years. The Lake Haizihu district was predicted to be more seriously polluted than the other districts. In the sediment, the organic matter, STN (TN in sediment) and STP (TP in sediment) contents increased from 2013 to 2018. The mean TLI values ranged from 62.99 to 78.93 in the studied years, and the eutrophication level was highest in 2017. According to the Dillon model, when the target water quality was level III (GB 3838-2002, Ministry of Environmental Protection of China, 2002), the remaining TN and TP loading capacities were −1470.72 t/a and −182.74 t/a, respectively, in 2015, and 320.03 t/a and −111.14 t/a, respectively, in 2018. Our results provide valuable and integrated information about the water conditions of Lake Changhu, thus laying a foundation for the theoretical study of water eutrophication process in lakes and paving the way for informed decision-making for managing water environments to ensure the safety of ecology.

Membrane distillation has shown great promises in desalinating various water streams. Significant progresses have been made in the past decades owing to the development of advanced membrane materials, such as superhydrophobic and omniphobic membranes. However, fouling and scaling remains a critical issue for stable operation. This account summarizes contemporary theories in fouling and scaling formation and their limitations in explaining the fouling resistance of superhydrophobic and omniphobic membranes. A new understanding is proposed based on hydrodynamics where non-slip boundary conditions play a critical role. By distinguishing a pinned and suspended wetting state, it is suggested that a superhydrophobic or omniphobic membrane correlates to a suspended wetting state, consequently a slip surface leading to scaling/fouling resistance. A new framework for analyzing the fouling/scaling behavior of MD membrane is provided to identify the wetting and hydrodynamic character of the membrane. A novel concept of treating the highly saline waste streams is suggested to cover membrane synthesis, module design and process optimization. The present work will be of interest to scientists and engineers searching for solutions to the MD fouling issues.

Vegetation ecology quality (VEQ) is an important indicator for evaluating environmental quality and ecosystem balance. The VEQ in China has changed significantly with global warming and gradual intensification of human activities. It is crucial to research the spatiotemporal characteristics of VEQ and its response to climate change in China. However, most previous studies used a single indicator to reflect VEQ in China, which needs to combine the effects of multiple indicators to reveal its variation characteristics. Based on the six remote sensing indicators, fractional vegetation cover, leaf area index, net primary productivity, vegetation wetness, land surface temperature, and water use efficiency of vegetation, the vegetation ecology quality index (VEQI) was constructed by principal component analysis in this paper. The spatio-temporal distribution and trend characteristic of VEQ within disparate ecosystems in China from 2000 to 2017 were studied. How continuous climate change affected VEQ over time was also analyzed. The results showed that the differences in spatial distribution between the excellent and poor VEQ regions were significant, with the proportion of excellent regions being much larger than that of poor regions. The VEQ has been ameliorated continuously during the past 18 years. Simultaneously, the VEQ would be ameliorated persistently in the future. Differences in the distribution and variation trend of VEQ occurred in disparate ecosystems. The VEQ of broadleaved forest was the best, while that of shrubs and arctic grassland ecosystem was the worst. The VEQ characteristics were different in disparate climate zones, with the best VEQ in the tropical monsoon climate zone and the worst in the plateau mountain climate zone. Except for desert vegetation and paddy field-dominated vegetation, VEQ of other ecosystems were significantly negatively correlated with altitude. Generally, moderate precipitation and temperature were favorable to improve VEQ in China. VEQ during the peak growing season was negatively correlated with temperature and positively correlated with precipitation, and the influence of precipitation on VEQ was stronger than that of temperature. Our results can be used to enact relevant management measures and policies.

Adolescent depression is a common and serious mental disorder with unique characteristics that are distinct from adult depression. The adult non-human primate stress-induced model of depressive-like behavior is an excellent model for the study of mechanisms; however, an adolescent nonhuman primate model is still lacking. Ten male adolescent cynomolgus monkeys were divided into a chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS, n = 5) group and a control (CON, n = 5) group by age and weight-matched pairs. The CUMS group was exposed to multiple unpredictable mild stressors for five cycles over 55 days. At baseline, there were no differences between CUMS and CON groups. At endpoint, the CUMS group demonstrated significantly higher depressive-like behavior (huddle posture), and significantly lower locomotion compared with the CON group. Furthermore, depressive-like behavior increased from baseline to endpoint in the CUMS group, but not changed in the CON group. In the attempt for apple test, the CUMS group made significantly fewer attempts for the apple than the CON group. In the human intruder test, the CUMS group showed significantly higher anxiety-like behaviors in the stare phase than the CON group. Hair cortisol level was significantly higher in the CUMS group than the CON group at endpoint, and was also elevated from baseline to endpoint. Metabolic profiling of plasma at endpoint identified alterations in metabolite pathways which overlapped with those of adolescent depression patients. CUMS can induce depressive-like and anxiety-like behaviors, hypercortisolemia, and metabolic perturbations in adolescent cynomolgus monkeys. This is a promising model to study the mechanisms underlying adolescent depression.