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Tongue squamous cell carcinoma (TSCC) is a common malignant oral cancer characterized by substantial invasion, a high rate of lymph node and distant metastasis, and a high recurrence rate. This study aims to provide new ideas for the diagnosis and treatment of TSCC patients by exploring the related mechanisms that affect the migration and invasion of TSCC and inhibit the migration and spread of cancer cells. The results indicated the rate of high expression of IL-17 in cancer tissues was greater than that in tongue tissues, and the expression of IL-17 was related to the TNM stage. The expression of IL-17 in Cal-27 cells was greater than that in HOEC. With increasing IL-17 concentration, cell proliferation, migration, and invasion increased, and the apoptosis rate decreased. After adding the IL-17 inhibitor, the cell proliferation, invasion, and migration abilities decreased, the apoptosis rate increased, and the expression of JAK1and p-STAT3 decreased.IL-17 is highly expressed in oral tongue squamous cell carcinoma and is involved in the occurrence and development of TSCC, possibly through the JAK‒Stat signaling pathway. This study provides a new target and theoretical basis for treating tongue squamous cell carcinoma., Competing Interests: Declarations. Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests., (© 2025. The Author(s).)

In order to solve the problems of serious deformation and difficult support of roadway surrounding rock in the process of gob-side entry driving, taking 230,708 working face of Huopu Mine as the engineering background, the migration characteristics of overburden rock and the stress distribution of surrounding rock before and after roof cutting in the process of gob-side entry driving were studied by means of theoretical analysis, similar simulation test and field measurement. The results show that: ① the establishment of lateral suspension mechanical model analysis found that, with the increase of coal seam dip angle, the reduction of the coal pillar bearing capacity before and after cutting the top gradually decreases, the dip angle of coal seam is 30°, Compared with the reduction of coal pillar bearing capacity before roof cutting is 2164 KN; with the increase of the overburden rock caving angle, the reduction of the coal pillar bearing capacity before and after cutting the top increases continuously, the caving angle of overburden rock is 63°, Compared with the reduction of coal pillar bearing capacity before roof cutting is 2218 KN. ② After the implementation of roof cutting and cutting off the overhanging roof structure, the stress of the surrounding rock of the coal pillar gang in the roadway has significantly decreased by 18.87%, and the stress of surrounding rock of roadway solid coal gang, roof and floor is reduced by 8.48%,5.79% and 4.81% respectively, which relieved the concentration in the surrounding rock stress of the roadway and improves the stress condition of the roadway. The study concludes that roof cutting can not only change the stress environment of the surrounding rock in the roadway, but also increase the filling degree of the goaf, realizing that the coal pillar and the gangue in the goaf jointly bear the overburden rock pressure, ensuring the stability of the roadway., Competing Interests: Declarations. Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests., (© 2025. The Author(s).)

Temporomandibular joint osteoarthritis (TMJOA) is a common degenerative disease that causes chronic pain and joint dysfunction. However, the current understanding of TMJOA pathogenesis is limited and necessitates further research. Animal models are crucial for investigating TMJOA due to the scarcity of clinical samples. Class II malocclusion is an occlusal type highly associated with TMJOA, but it currently lacks appropriate animal models for simulating this malocclusion in research. Therefore, this study develops a new malocclusion model using a unilateral anterior large overjet (UALO) dental device to cause Class II malocclusion characteristics and TMJOA-like pathological alterations in rats. By inducing a posteriorly positioned condyle, the UALO device effectively results in cartilage degradation, subchondral bone loss, condylar volume reduction, and mandibular retrusion. Furthermore, RNA sequencing of condylar cartilages revealed that the oxidative stress of chondrocytes was elevated under the UALO-triggered abnormal mechanical stress. Disruption of antioxidant systems and mitochondrial dysfunction are involved in cartilage degeneration. The current study provides a novel and reliable rat model suitable for TMJOA research and offers insights into the disease's potential mechanistic pathways and molecular targets, contributing to a deeper understanding of TMJOA., Competing Interests: Declarations. Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests., (© 2025. The Author(s).)

To evaluate the diagnostic performance of ultrasound-derived fat fraction (UDFF) and clinical prediction models in assessing hepatic steatosis grades in MASLD patients, with liver biopsy as reference standard.A total of 85 obese patients who were found to have fatty liver by B-mode ultrasound and underwent UDFF measurement, with liver biopsy available, were enrolled. The diagnostic performance of UDFF, clinical prediction models including fatty liver index (FLI), hepatic steatosis index (HSI), ZheJiang University index (ZJU index) and lipid accumulation product (LAP) for hepatic steatosis was assessed. The areas under receiver operating characteristics curves (AUROCs) were utilized to determine the diagnostic efficacy. DeLong test was used to compare the diagnostic performance of different noninvasive methods for hepatic steatosis. The UDFF values of S1, S2 and S3 groups were 17.53 ± 7.49%, 25.00 ± 5.41% and 27.58 ± 6.55%, respectively (P < 0.001). UDFF values were significantly positively correlated with histologic steatosis grades (r = 0.531, P < 0.001). In the ≥ S2 group, the AUROC of UDFF was higher than that of FLI and LAP (P < 0.05), but not significantly different from that of HSI and ZJU index (P > 0.05). In the ≥ S3 group, the AUROC of UDFF was higher than that of FLI, ZJU index and LAP (P < 0.05), but not significantly different from that of HSI (P > 0.05). The UDFF proves effective in assessing hepatic steatosis in patients with MASLD, and its diagnostic efficacy exceeded that of FLI and LAP, but there was no significant difference with HSI, ZJU index in the ≥ S2 group, and with HSI in the ≥ S3 group., Competing Interests: Declarations. Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

To reduce environmental risks and impacts from orphaned wells (abandoned oil and gas wells), it is essential to first locate and then plug these wells. Manual reading and digitizing of information from historical documents is not feasible, given the large number of wells. Here, we propose a new computational approach for rapidly and cost-effectively characterizing these wells. Specifically, we leverage the advanced capabilities of large language models (LLMs) to extract vital information including well location and depth from historical records of orphaned wells. In this paper, we present an information extraction workflow based on open-source Llama 2 models and test it on a dataset of 160 well documents. The developed workflow achieves an overall accuracy of 100%, accounting for both text conversion and LLM analysis when applied to clean, PDF-based reports. However, it struggles with unstructured image-based well records, where accuracy drops to 70%. The workflow provides significant benefits over manual human digitization, because it reduces labor and increases automation. Additionally, more detailed prompting leads to improved information extraction, and LLMs with more parameters typically perform better. Given that a vast amount of geoscientific information is locked up in old documents, this work demonstrates that recent breakthroughs in LLMs allow us to access and utilize this information more effectively., Competing Interests: Declarations. Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

This study aimed to explore a deep learning radiomics (DLR) model based on grayscale ultrasound images to assist radiologists in distinguishing between benign breast lesions (BBL) and malignant breast lesions (MBL). A total of 382 patients with breast lesions were included, comprising 183 benign lesions and 199 malignant lesions that were collected and confirmed through clinical pathology or biopsy. The enrolled patients were randomly allocated into two groups: a training cohort and an independent test cohort, maintaining a ratio of 7:3.We created a model called CLDLR that utilizes clinical parameters and DLR to diagnose both BBL and MBL through grayscale ultrasound images. In order to assess the practicality of the CLDLR model, two rounds of evaluations were conducted by radiologists. The CLDLR model demonstrates the highest diagnostic performance in predicting benign and malignant BI-RADS 4 lesions, with areas under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) of 0.988 (95% confidence interval : 0.949, 0.985) in the training cohort and 0.888 (95% confidence interval : 0.829, 0.947) in the testing cohort.The CLDLR model outperformed the diagnoses made by the three radiologists in the initial assessment of the testing cohorts. By utilizing AI scores from the CLDLR model and heatmaps from the DLR model, the diagnostic performance of all radiologists was further enhanced in the testing cohorts. Our study presents a noninvasive imaging biomarker for the prediction of benign and malignant BI-RADS 4 lesions. By comparing the results from two rounds of assessment, our AI-assisted diagnostic tool demonstrates practical value for radiologists with varying levels of experience., Competing Interests: Declarations. Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests. Ethical approval and informed consent: Ethical approvals for the study were obtained from the Institutional Review Boards of The First Affiliated Hospital of Shandong First Medical University & Shandong Provincial Qianfoshan Hospital (YXLL-KY-2023(045)).Patient consent was waived due to the retrospective nature of the study and the analysis used anonymous clinical data. The study was conducted according to the guidelines of the the Declaration of Helsinki (2013 revision)., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Wheat stripe rust is a fungal disease caused by Puccinia striiformis f. sp. tritici. The outbreak of wheat stripe rust will have a great impact on wheat production in Xinjiang, China. In order to identify resistance to wheat stripe rust and the distribution of resistance genes in 82 wheat cultivars (41 spring wheat and 41 winter wheat), wheat seedling resistance was evaluated using CYR32, CYR33 and CYR34, and wheat adult plant stage resistance was identified using a combination of 3 races. Six molecular markers were used to identify Yr29, Yr39, Yr46, Yr69 and YrTr1 in 82 wheat cultivars. The results showed that 3 of 82 wheat cultivars (Xinchun No.14, Xinchun No.22, and Xindong No.22) were immune to stripe rust at the adult plant stage. Xinchun No.29, Xinchun No.32, Xindong No.5 and Xindong No.29 were resistant at all stage. The highest detection rates were for Yr69 and YrTr1, at 78.05% and 76.83%. However, the detection rates for Yr39 and Yr46 were only 0 and 2.44%, respectively. The Xindong No.22 were detected with the most resistance genes, which included 4 Yr genes. Furthermore, Xindong No.22 were immune to the disease at adult plant stage. The results confirmed the resistance gene distribution of the wheat cultivars in Xinjiang were heterogeneously, and the number of Yr genes was significantly and positively correlated with wheat cultivars resistant to stripe rust., Competing Interests: Declarations. Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests. Statement: We ensure that we had permission to collect wheat cultivars., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Raynaud's phenomenon is a condition that causing vasospasm of the digital extremities and have a great influence on the quality of patients life. Distraction osteogenesis is accompanied with vascularization and regeneration of surrounding soft tissues. There have been no previous reports of using radial cortex transverse distraction for the treatment of RP. Since January 2019 to January 2023, 6 patients with RP accepted radial cortex transverse distraction. They were failed to conventional treatment for at least six months before the surgery. All the patients were followed-up over 1 year. The bone cortex healed without osteomyelitis or fractures. The ulcer of finger healed in one month. The pain and skin pale released after the surgery. The VAS score declined from 6 to 2 and the finger SpO 2 improved. Radial cortex transverse distraction facilitated finger ulcer healing, salvage the hand and improved Raynaud symptoms. These findings suggest that radial cortex transverse distraction may be an effective procedure to treat the Raynaud's phenomenon.Level of Evidence II Therapeutic study., Competing Interests: Declarations. Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests. Ethical approval: This study was approved by the Ethics Committee of Qilu Hospital of Shandong University. All procedures performed in this study involving human participants followed the relevant guidelines and regulations of the Declaration of Helsinki. Informed consent: All patients in our study were anonymous. Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Currently, the diagnosis of delirium is solely based on clinical observation, lacking objective diagnostic tools, and the regulatory networks and pathological mechanisms behind it are not yet fully understood. Exosomes have garnered considerable interest as potential biomarkers for a variety of illnesses. This research aimed to delineate both the proteomic and metabolomic landscapes inherent to exosomes, assessing their diagnostic utility in postoperative delirium (POD) and understanding the underlying pathophysiological frameworks. Integrated analyses of proteomics and metabolomics were conducted on exosomes derived from plasma of individuals from both the non-postoperative delirium (NPOD) control group and the POD group. Subsequently, the study utilized the Connectivity Map (CMap) methodology for the identification of promising small-molecule drugs and carried out molecular docking assessments to explore the binding affinities with the enzyme MMP9 of these identified molecules. We identified significant differences in exosomal metabolites and proteins between the POD and control groups, highlighting pathways related to neuroinflammation and blood-brain barrier (BBB) integrity. Our CMap analysis identified potential small-molecule therapeutics, and molecular docking studies revealed two compounds with high affinity to MMP9, suggesting a new therapeutic avenue for POD. This study highlights MMP9, TLR2, ICAM1, S100B, and glutamate as key biomarkers in the pathophysiology of POD, emphasizing the roles of neuroinflammation and BBB integrity. Notably, molecular docking suggests mirin and orantinib as potential inhibitors targeting MMP9, providing new therapeutic avenues. The findings broaden our understanding of POD mechanisms and suggest targeted strategies for its management, reinforcing the importance of multidimensional biomarker analysis and molecular targeting in POD intervention., Competing Interests: Declarations. Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests. Ethics statement: This study was approved by the Ethics Committee of Jining First People’s Hospital (2022 Ethics Review No. (087)). The study has been registered with the Clinical Trial Registration (registration number NCT06194474)., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Sepsis, characterized as a systemic inflammatory response triggered by the invasion of pathogens, represents a continuum that may escalate from mild systemic infection to severe sepsis, potentially resulting in septic shock and multiple organ dysfunction syndrome. Advancements in lipidomics and metabolomics have unveiled the complex role of fatty acid metabolism (FAM) in both healthy and pathological states. Leveraging bioinformatics, this investigation aimed to identify and substantiate potential FAM-related genes (FAMGs) implicated in sepsis. The approach encompassed a differential expression analysis across a pool of 36 candidate FAMGs. GSEA and GSVA were employed to assess the biological significance and pathways associated with these genes. Furthermore, Lasso regression and SVM-RFE methodologies were implemented to determine key hub genes and assess the diagnostic prowess of nine selected FAMGs in sepsis identification. The study also investigated the correlation between these hub FAMGs. Validation was conducted through expression-level analysis using the GSE13904 and GSE65682 datasets. The study identified 13 sepsis-associated FAMGs, including ABCD2, ACSL3, ACSM1, ACSS1, ACSS2, ACOX1, ALDH9A1, ACACA, ACACB, FASN, OLAH, PPT1, and ELOVL4. As demonstrated by functional enrichment analysis results, these genes played key roles in several critical biological pathways, such as the Peroxisome, PPAR signaling pathway, and Insulin signaling pathway, all of which are intricately linked to metabolic regulation and inflammatory responses. The diagnostic potential of these FAMGs was further highlighted. In short, the expression patterns of these FAMGs c effectively distinguished sepsis cases from non-septic controls, which suggested that they may be promising biomarkers for early sepsis detection. This discovery not only enhanced our understanding of the molecular mechanisms underpinning sepsis but also paved the way for developing novel diagnostic tools and therapeutic strategies targeting metabolic dysregulation in septic patients. This research sheds light on 13 FAMGs associated with sepsis, providing valuable insights into novel biomarkers for this condition and facilitating the monitoring of its progression. These findings underscore the significance of purine metabolism in sepsis pathogenesis and open avenues for further investigation into therapeutic targets., Competing Interests: Declarations. Competing interests: The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

This study conducts push-out tests on eight geopolymer concrete filled steel tube column specimens with varying design parameters to evaluate the effects of steel tube wall thickness, concrete strength, and the presence of welded longitudinal ribs on the bond-slip performance at the interface between geopolymer concrete and steel tube. The study analyzes the influence mechanism of chemical bonding force, mechanical bite force, and friction resistance on bond strength and a three-stage bond-slip constitutive relationship is established. The results indicate that steel tube strain increases with height, with significant strain observed at the welding structure and the fixed end of the steel tube. The length-to-diameter ratio, diameter-to-thickness ratio, concrete strength, and construction measures of the steel tube are identified as key factors in enhancing interfacial bonding performance. The presence of welded longitudinal ribs on the inner wall of the steel tube significantly improves the interface bonding. The calculated bond strength ratios, compared with the test results, fall within an 11% margin, demonstrating good agreement., Competing Interests: Declarations Competing interests The authors declare no competing interests., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Glioma refers to a highly prevalent type of brain tumor that is strongly associated with a high mortality rate. During the treatment process of the disease, it is particularly important to accurately perform segmentation of the glioma from Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI). However, existing methods used for glioma segmentation usually rely solely on either local or global features and perform poorly in terms of capturing and exploiting critical information from tumor volume features. Herein, we propose a local and global dual transformer with an attentional supervision U-shape network called DTASUnet, which is purposed for glioma segmentation. First, we built a pyramid hierarchical encoder based on 3D shift local and global transformers to effectively extract the features and relationships of different tumor regions. We also designed a 3D channel and spatial attention supervision module to guide the network, allowing it to capture key information in volumetric features more accurately during the training process. In the BraTS 2018 validation set, the average Dice scores of DTASUnet for the tumor core (TC), whole tumor (WT), and enhancing tumor (ET) regions were 0.845, 0.905, and 0.808, respectively. These results demonstrate that DTASUnet has utility in assisting clinicians with determining the location of gliomas to facilitate more efficient and accurate brain surgery and diagnosis., Competing Interests: Declarations Competing interests The authors declare no competing interests., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

To evaluate the knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) of patients with age-related macular degeneration (AMD) regarding anti-VEGF treatment within a one-stop intravitreal injection service model. A cross-sectional study was conducted from July 1, 2023, to January 31, 2024, at the One-stop Intravitreal Injection Center at Tianjin Medical University Eye Hospital. Data were collected using a specially designed KAP questionnaire. The study successfully enrolled 493 participants. Of these, 214 (43.4%) were aged between 70 and 79 years, and 226 (45.8%) had been diagnosed with AMD for 1-3 years. The median knowledge, attitude, and practice scores were 6.00 [3.00, 8.00] (possible range: 0-9), 42.00 [37.00, 48.00] (possible range: 11-55), and 23.00 [18.00, 27.00] (possible range: 6-30), respectively. Multivariate logistic regression for practice showed that knowledge score (OR = 1.329, P < 0.001), attitude score (OR = 1.150, P < 0.001), aged 60-69 years (OR = 0.398, P = 0.022) were independently associated with proactive practice. Mediating effect significance showed that knowledge directly affected attitude (β = 0.625), knowledge (β = 0.398) and attitude (β = 0.503) directly affected practice (P < 0.001). Meanwhile, knowledge also indirectly affected practice through attitude (β = 0.315, P < 0.001). Regarding the factors impacting their selection of anti-VEGF treatment, 63.5% of patients emphasized the crucial role of its effectiveness. Additionally, over 40% of patients considered both family circumstances and insurance coverage to be highly significant in their decision-making process. This study found that patients with AMD exhibit suboptimal knowledge yet hold positive attitudes and engage actively in practices concerning anti-VEGF treatment within a one-stop intravitreal injection service model. It is recommended that healthcare providers enhance educational interventions at intravitreal injection centers to boost patient knowledge, which is likely to further improve attitudes and proactive management practices among AMD patients., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Prostate cancer is one of the most common cancers in men and poses a significant threat to global male health. Traditional prostate cancer assessment methods have certain limitations, necessitating the identification of new prognostic factors and treatment targets. Our study revealed that low expression of the cornichon family AMPA receptor auxiliary protein 2 (CNIH2) gene was associated with a better progression-free survival rate in prostate cancer patients. The area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve (AUC) showed that the prognostic ability of the CNIH2 gene was high at 1, 3, and 5 years. The gene was an independent prognostic factor according to multivariate analysis. Functional verification experiments showed that knocking down the CNIH2 gene could inhibit the proliferation, migration and invasion of prostate cancer cells and could also inhibit tumor growth in nude mice. Our study is the first to reveal the important role of the CNIH2 gene in prostate cancer. This discovery provides a new research direction for individualized treatment and prognostic evaluation of prostate cancer., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Wheat is a crucial crop worldwide, and accurate detection and counting of wheat spikes are vital for yield estimation and breeding. However, these tasks are daunting in complex field environments. To tackle this, we introduce RIA-SpikeNet, a model designed to detect and count wheat spikes in such conditions. First, we introduce an Implicit Decoupling Detection Head to incorporate more implicit knowledge, enabling the model to better distinguish visually similar wheat spikes. Second, Asymmetric Loss is employed as the confidence loss function, enhancing the learning weights of positive and hard samples, thus improving performance in complex scenes. Lastly, the backbone network is modified through reparameterization and the use of larger convolutional kernels, expanding the effective receptive field and improving shape information extraction. These enhancements significantly improve the model's ability to detect and count wheat spikes accurately. RIA-SpikeNet outperforms the state-of-the-art YOLOv8 detection model, achieving a competitive 81.54% mAP and 90.29% R 2 . The model demonstrates superior performance in challenging scenarios, providing an effective tool for wheat spike yield estimation in field environments and valuable support for wheat production and breeding efforts., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Recently, several studies have reported that the survival benefit of wedge resection might not be inferior to that of lobectomy in early-stage NSCLC patients, but there is no unified definition of the details or cutoff value. Patients with early-stage NSCLC with a tumour size ≤ 2.0 cm were chosen from the SEER database. The influence of confounding factors was minimized by 1:1 propensity score matching (PSM). Kaplan‒Meier curves and Cox proportional hazards models were used to evaluate the overall survival (OS) and lung cancer-specific survival (LCSS) of patients undergoing lobectomy and wedge resection. A total of 3891 patients with early-stage NSCLC with tumour size ≤ 2.0 cm were enrolled, of whom 2839 underwent lobectomy and 1052 underwent wedge resection. Both before and after PSM, lobectomy significantly improved OS and LCSS compared with wedge resection in the unstratified study population. In the tumour size ≤ 1 cm group, lobectomy had better OS and LCSS than wedge resection (P < 0.05) before PSM; after PSM, there was no significant difference in OS (P = 0.16) and LCSS (P = 0.17). In Grade I patients, before PSM, lobectomy was superior to wedge resection in LCSS (P = 0.038), while there was no significant difference in OS (P = 0.16); after PSM, there were no significant differences in either OS (P = 0.78) or LCSS (P = 0.11). For early-stage NSCLC patients with a tumour size ≤ 1 cm or with a tumour size ≤ 2 cm and with Grade I, there was no significant difference in survival between wedge resection and lobectomy., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

In recent years, industrial gas flow has been obtained from the bauxite gas reservoir in the southwestern Ordos Basin, which has made the identification of aluminium-bearing rock reservoirs a popular topic. To accelerate the exploration and development of this type of gas reservoir, major element testing, rock thin section identification and principal component analysis (PCA) were conducted, and a method for rapid and accurate identification of bauxite reservoirs via conventional logging was established. The test results clearly revealed the vertical stratification of major elements and three lithologies in the aluminium (Al)-bearing rock series in the study area. The log response characteristics of effective gas reservoirs were summarized, providing a basis for subsequent research on identifying effective bauxite reservoirs via mathematical dimensionality reduction of logging curves. The porosity comparison of strata with different lithologies suggests that dissolution pores are more developed in Al-rich layers, providing insight for identifying effective reservoirs by Al 2 O 3 content. On the basis of the above findings, a lithological identification chart of Al-bearing rock series was established via principal component analysis (PCA), and an effective bauxite reservoir logging identification model based on Al 2 O 3 content prediction was developed. The results show that using the dimensionality reduction method for principal component analysis of logging curves with overlapping information can avoid model distortion caused by multicollinearity. The research results can be used to identify bauxite reservoirs quickly and accurately without other test data., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

This paper addresses the challenge of low detection accuracy of grape clusters caused by scale differences, illumination changes, and occlusion in realistic and complex scenes. We propose a multi-scale feature fusion and augmentation YOLOv7 network to enhance the detection accuracy of grape clusters across variable environments. First, we design a Multi-Scale Feature Extraction Module (MSFEM) to enhance feature extraction for small-scale targets. Second, we propose the Receptive Field Augmentation Module (RFAM), which uses dilated convolution to expand the receptive field and enhance the detection accuracy for objects of various scales. Third, we present the Spatial Pyramid Pooling Cross Stage Partial Concatenation Faster (SPPCSPCF) module to fuse multi-scale features, improving accuracy and speeding up model training. Finally, we integrate the Residual Global Attention Mechanism (ResGAM) into the network to better focus on crucial regions and features. Experimental results show that our proposed method achieves a mAP 0.5 of 93.29% on the GrappoliV2 dataset, an improvement of 5.39% over YOLOv7. Additionally, our method increases Precision, Recall, and F1 score by 2.83%, 3.49%, and 0.07, respectively. Compared to state-of-the-art detection methods, our approach demonstrates superior detection performance and adaptability to various environments for detecting grape clusters., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Implant-related infections pose significant challenges to orthopedic surgeries due to the high risk of severe complications. The widespread use of bioactive prostheses in joint replacements, featuring roughened surfaces and tight integration with the bone marrow cavity, has facilitated bacterial proliferation and complicated treatment. Developing antibacterial coatings for orthopedic implants has been a key research focus in recent years to address this critical issue. Researchers have designed coatings using various materials and antibacterial strategies. In this study, we fabricated 3D-printed porous titanium rods, incorporated vancomycin-loaded mPEG 750 -b-PCL 2500 gel, and coated them with a PCL layer. We then evaluated the antibacterial efficacy through both in vitro and in vivo experiments. Our coating passively inhibits bacterial biofilm formation and actively controls antibiotic release in response to bacterial growth, providing a practical solution for proactive and sustained infection control. This study utilized 3D printing technology to produce porous titanium rod implants simulating bioactive joint prostheses. The porous structure of the titanium rods was used to load a thermoresponsive gel, mPEG 750 -b-PCL 2500 (PEG: polyethylene glycol; PCL: polycaprolactone), serving as a novel drug delivery system carrying vancomycin for controlled antibiotic release. The assembly was then covered with a PCL membrane that inhibits bacterial biofilm formation early in infection and degrades when exposed to lipase solutions, mimicking enzymatic activity during bacterial infections. This setup provides infection-responsive protection and promotes drug release. We investigated the coating's controlled release, antibacterial capability, and biocompatibility through in vitro experiments. We established a Staphylococcus aureus infection model in rabbits, implanting titanium rods in the femoral medullary cavity. We evaluated the efficacy and safety of the composite coating in preventing implant-related infections using imaging, hematology, and pathology. In vitro experiments demonstrated that the PCL membrane stably protects encapsulated vancomycin during PBS immersion. The PCL membrane rapidly degraded at a lipase concentration of 0.2 mg/mL. The mPEG750-b-PCL2500 gel ensured stable and sustained vancomycin release, inhibiting bacterial growth. We investigated the antibacterial effect of the 3D-printed titanium material, coated with PCL and loaded with mPEG 750 -b-PCL 2500 hydrogel, using a rabbit Staphylococcus aureus infection model. Imaging, hematology, and histopathology confirmed that our composite antibacterial coating exhibited excellent antibacterial effects and infection prevention, with good safety in trials. Our results indicate that the composite antibacterial coating effectively protects vancomycin in the hydrogel from premature release in the absence of bacterial infection. The outer PCL membrane inhibits bacterial growth and prevents biofilm formation. Upon contact with bacterial lipase, the PCL membrane rapidly degrades, releasing vancomycin for antibacterial action. The mPEG 750 -b-PCL 2500 gel provides stable and sustained vancomycin release, prolonging its antibacterial effects. Our composite antibacterial coating demonstrates promising potential for clinical application., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

To solve the problem of a large amount of fly ash accumulation and study the axial compression and bearing capacity prediction of the self-compacting fly ash concrete filled circle steel tube (SCCFST) columns, eight specimens are designed to explore the impact of concrete strength grade, internal structural measures, and additional parameters. The stress, progression of deformation, and failure mode of each specimen are observed during the loading process. The load-displacement curves, load-strain curves, characteristic load and displacement, ductility, and stiffness degradation are analyzed. The findings revealed that shear deformation occurred predominantly in the middle and upper portions of the steel tubes. Enhancing the strength of the concrete or adopting internal structural measures could increase the bearing capacity and ductility of the specimens. The peak load and ductility could be increased by up to 17.6 and 53.6%, respectively. The proposed unified calculation equation for the axial compression bearing capacity of SCCFST columns demonstrates notable reliability and precision. Furthermore, these tests offer valuable references for the engineering application of various forms of SCCFST columns, which are of significant importance in practical engineering., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

It remains that intracranial infection has an alarming mortality and morbidity. Klebsiella pneumoniae (KP) have increasingly been isolated in ventriculitis and meningitis episodes. Intracranial infections caused by carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae (CRKP) account for high mortality. To understand its clinical impact and related risk factors accurately are crucial in the management of bacterial intracranial infection. The retrospective study aimed to delineate the clinical risk of death from intracranial infection and analyze the risk factors. A total of 176 Klebsiella pneumoniae intracranial infectious patients were available to divide into CRKP group and carbapenem-susceptive Klebsiella Pneumoniae (CSKP) group. We performed survival analysis and estimate the time-varying effects of CRKP and CSKP infection on 30-day mortality. Infectious patients caused by CSKP was associated with lower mortality than CRKP group. The risk factors associated with death from intracranial infection caused by Klebsiella pneumoniae included SOFA scores, ventilator therapy, CRKP, and heart failure. Longer hospital stays are independently associated with lower mortality rates. Intracranial infection caused by CRKP was associated with excess mortality. Complex comorbidities mean higher mortality. Active supportive treatment is required for complicated patients with intracranial infections caused by carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

To date, the types of fuels used in pottery kilns during the Western Zhou Dynasty have not been adequately addressed. Samples from updraft kilns and semi-downdraft kilns at the Fengjing site, the capital in the late Western Zhou period, were selected for analysis. Through phytolith and wood charcoal analysis, various grasses mainly Panicoideae, Pooideae, and Eragrostidoideae, as well as millet, rice, and wheat crops were identified. Additionally, wood primarily from trees of the Quercus, Ulmus, and Liquidambar taxa was found. These findings suggest that different pottery kilns used similar fuels, demonstrating a broad-spectrum rather than specialized fuel utilization during the Zhou period., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

The lip-splitting approach enables excellent access to all areas of the mouth and pharynx to remove tumors; however, traditional lower lip-splitting incisions produce an unsatisfactory scar. To achieve better functional and aesthetic results, we used a Z-shaped incision and compared the functional and aesthetic outcomes of the straight and Z-shaped incisions. Sixty patients who fulfilled the inclusion criteria were randomly divided into two groups and underwent lip-splitting between March 2021 and September 2023. Eventually, 77 patients were reviewed within 6 months and evaluated using the lip function assessment scale, patient and observer scar assessment scale, naïve observer scar assessment scale, and a clinical examination. The Z-shaped incision group performed better in terms of the lip pout movement at 3 months and in the subjective overall opinion, color, irregularity, and pigmentation at 6 months. The Z-shaped incision group had a lower incidence of notched vermilion. In conclusion, Z-shaped lower lip-splitting incisions have better functional and aesthetic outcomes than traditional straight incisions.Trial registration: Public title: Difference between the effect of Z-shaped and vertical incisions of labiobuccal flap on the recovery of lower lip scars. Registration date: 09/03/2021. Registration number: ChiCTR2100044084. Registry URL: http://www.chictr.org.cn ., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

To solve the supporting problem of high-stress red shale roadway in Kaiyang phosphate mining area, the mechanical properties and microstructure of red shale are studied. The results show that the compressive strength of the red shale is related to the bedding angle, and the strength of the 0° samples is the highest, and the strength of the 60° and 30° samples decreases gradually. With comprehensive consideration, the composite supporting method of cantilever piles and grid arch is adopted. Combining the numerical simulation and theoretical calculation, the parameters of cantilever pile with interval distance of 5 m and rock-socketed depth of 500 m are more reasonable. The monitoring results show that the roof subsidence was controlled within 250 mm, and the floor heave was within 100 mm, which could effectively control the severe deformation of the roadway and also is of great significance to the safe mining of phosphate resources., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Open-pit mine pavement dust dries and breaks easily. As such, a composite pavement dust suppressant with good wettability, moisturizing, coagulation, and antifreezing properties in winter was investigated. Monomer screening and orthogonal experiments were conducted, using evaporation rate, permeability rate, viscosity, and freezing point as evaluation indexes. Consequently, a dust suppressant solution is a mixture of glycerol (GLY), sodium dodecylbenzene sulfonate (SDBS), polyacrylamide (PAM), compound propylene glycol (PG), and potassium acetate (PA). The characteristics of the dust suppressant and its interaction mechanism with road dust were measured and analyzed. The results showed that the optimal ratio of the antifreeze-type composite dust suppressant is 3%GLY, 0.30%SDBS, 0.07% PAM, and 50%PG + 10%PA; the contact angle is 27.62°, which can effectively wet coal dust. Moreover, it easily forms hydrogen bonds with water molecules to release free -OH, which increases the oxygen-containing functional groups in the dust. The maximum viscosity is 25.4 mPa·s, and the hydrophobic groups adsorbed on the surface of the dust can condense and agglomerate the dust to form large particles, and effectively inhibit the occurrence of dust. It freezes at - 34.2 ℃, resists a temperature of - 30 ℃ without freezing, and improves dust suppression efficiency and antifreezing effect in cold areas., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

In this study, Al6061 alloy matrix composites reinforced Al 2 O 3 -decorated reduced graphene oxide (Al 2 O 3 /RGO) with 0.1, 0.3 and 0.5 weight present (wt%) were successfully fabricated using high energy ball milling and hot extrusion techniques. The microstructures of these Al 2 O 3 /RGO/Al6061 aluminum matrix composites (Al MMCs) were characterized. The results showed that Al 2 O 3 /RGO were uniformly distributed within the Al6061 matrix and tightly bonded to the matrix. Al 2 O 3 encapsulation on RGO surface would prevent the formation of Al 4 C 3 brittle phase in matrix, ensuring that there was no reaction between the reinforcement and the matrix Al6061. Tensile strength and Vickers hardness tests demonstrated that the mechanical properties of Al MMCs significantly increased with addition of Al 2 O 3 /RGOs. Remarkably, Al MMCs with 0.1 wt% reinforcement showed tensile yield and tensile strengths of 270 MPa and 286 MPa, respectively, which were 49% and 43% higher than those of pure Al6061 prepared using the same process. Furthermore, the 0.1 wt% Al 2 O 3 /RGO composite also showed the best plastic deformation capability in considering of the strength., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

This study, leveraging search engine data, investigates the dynamics of China's domestic tourism markets in response to the August 2022 epidemic outbreak in Xinjiang. It focuses on understanding the reaction mechanisms of tourist-origin markets during destination crises in the post-pandemic phase. Notably, the research identifies a continuous rise in the potential tourism demand from tourist origin cities, despite the challenges posed by the epidemic. Further analysis uncovers a regional disparity in the growth of tourism demand, primarily influenced by the economic stratification of origin markets. Additionally, the study examines key tourism attractions such as Duku Road, highlighting its resilient competitive system, which consists of distinctive tourism experiences, economically robust tourist origins, diverse tourist markets, and spatial pattern stability driven by economic factors in source cities, illustrating an adaptive response to external challenges such as crises. The findings provide new insights into the dynamics of tourism demand, offering a foundation for developing strategies to bolster destination resilience and competitiveness in times of health crises., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Axillary bud is an important aspect of plant morphology, contributing to the final tobacco yield. However, the mechanisms of axillary bud development in tobacco remain largely unknown. To investigate this aspect of tobacco biology, the metabolome and proteome of the axillary buds before and after topping were compared. A total of 569 metabolites were differentially abundant before and 1, 3, and 5 days after topping. KEGG analyses further revealed that the axillary bud was characterized by a striking enrichment of metabolites involved in flavonoid metabolism, suggesting a strong flavonoid biosynthesis activity in the tobacco axillary bud after topping. Additionally, 9035 differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) were identified before and 1, 3, and 5 days after topping. Subsequent GO and KEGG analyses revealed that the DEPs in the axillary bud were enriched in oxidative stress, hormone signal transduction, MAPK signaling pathway, and starch and sucrose metabolism. The integrated proteome and metabolome analysis revealed that the indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) alteration in buds control dormancy release and sustained growth of axillary bud by regulating proteins involved in carbohydrate metabolism, amino acid metabolism, and lipid metabolism. Notably, the proteins related to reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavenging and flavonoid biosynthesis were strongly negatively correlated with IAA content. These findings shed light on a critical role of IAA alteration in regulating axillary bud outgrowth, and implied a potential crosstalk among IAA alteration, ROS homeostasis, and flavonoid biosynthesis in tobacco axillary bud under topping stress, which could improve our understanding of the IAA alteration in axillary bud as an important regulator of axillary bud development., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

The risk of cholangitis after ERCP implantation in malignant obstructive jaundice patients remains unknown. To develop models based on artificial intelligence methods to predict cholangitis risk more accurately, according to patients after stent implantation in patients' MOJ clinical data. This retrospective study included 218 patients with MOJ undergoing ERCP surgery. A total of 27 clinical variables were collected as input variables. Seven models (including univariate analysis and six machine learning models) were trained and tested for classified prediction. The model' performance was measured by AUROC. The RFT model demonstrated excellent performances with accuracies up to 0.86 and AUROC up to 0.87. Feature selection in RF and SHAP was similar, and the choice of the best variable subset produced a high performance with an AUROC up to 0.89. We have developed a hybrid machine learning model with better predictive performance than traditional LR prediction models, as well as other machine learning models for cholangitis based on simple clinical data. The model can assist doctors in clinical diagnosis, adopt reasonable treatment plans, and improve the survival rate of patients., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Bloodstream infections caused by multidrug-resistant organisms such as Klebsiella pneumoniae are a significant challenge in managing hematological malignancies. This study aims to characterize the epidemiology of Klebsiella pneumoniae bloodstream infections specifically in patients with hematological malignancies, delineate the patterns of initial antibiotic therapy, assess the prevalence of resistant strains, identify risk factors for these resistant strains, and evaluate factors influencing patient outcomes. A retrospective analysis was conducted at a single center from January 2017 to December 2020, focusing on 182 patients with hematological malignancies who developed Klebsiella pneumoniae bloodstream infections. We compared the 30-day mortality rates between patients receiving appropriate and inappropriate antibiotic treatments, including the effectiveness of both single-drug and combination therapies. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis and multivariate logistic and Cox regression were used to identify factors influencing mortality risk. The 30-day all-cause mortality rate was 30.2% for all patients. The 30-day all-cause mortality rates were 77.2% and 8.8% in patients who received inappropriate initial treatment and appropriate initial treatment (p < 0.001). Inappropriate initial treatment significantly influenced mortality and was a key predictor of 30-day mortality, along with septic shock and previous intensive care unit (ICU) stays. Patients with carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae (CRKP) bloodstream infections exhibited more severe clinical symptoms compared to the CSKP group. The study demonstrates a significant association between empirical carbapenem administration and the escalating prevalence of CRKP and multidrug-resistant K. pneumoniae (MDR-KP) infections. Furthermore, the study identified inappropriate initial antibiotic therapy, septic shock, and ICU admission as independent risk factors for 30-day mortality., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Ulcerative colitis (UC) is characterized by an abnormal immune response, and the pathogenesis lacks clear understanding. The cGAS-STING pathway is an innate immune signaling pathway that plays a significant role in various pathophysiological processes. However, the role of the cGAS-STING pathway in UC remains largely unclear. In this study, we obtained transcriptome sequencing data from multiple publicly available databases. cGAS-STING related genes were obtained through literature search, and differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were analyzed using R package limma. Hub genes were identified through protein-protein interaction (PPI) network analysis and module construction. The ConsensuClusterPlus package was utilized to identify molecular subtypes based on hub genes. The therapeutic response, immune microenvironment, and biological pathways of subtypes were further investigated. A total of 18 DEGs were found in UC patients. We further identified IFI16, MB21D1 (CGAS), TMEM173 (STING) and TBK1 as the hub genes. These genes are highly expressed in UC. IFI16 exhibited the highest diagnostic value and predictive value for response to anti-TNF therapy. The expression level of IFI16 was higher in non-responders to anti-TNF therapy. Furthermore, a cluster analysis based on genes related to the cGAS-STING pathway revealed that patients with higher gene expression exhibited elevated immune burden and inflammation levels. This study is a pioneering analysis of cGAS-STING pathway-related genes in UC. These findings provide new insights for the diagnosis of UC and the prediction of therapeutic response., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

The optimal design of groundwater circulation wells (GCWs) is challenging. The key to purifying groundwater using this technique is its proficiency and productivity. However, traditional numerical simulation methods are limited by long modeling times, random optimization schemes, and optimization results that are not comprehensive. To address these issues, this study introduced an innovative approach for the optimal design of a GCW using machine learning methods. The FloPy package was used to create and implement the MODFLOW and MODPATH models. Subsequently, the formulated models were employed to calculate the characteristic indicators of the effectiveness of the GCW operation, including the radius of influence (R) and the ratio of particle recovery (Pr). A detailed collection of 3000 datasets, including measures of operational efficiency and key elements in machine learning, was meticulously compiled into documents through model execution. The optimization models were trained and evaluated using multiple linear regression (MLR), artificial neural networks (ANN), and support vector machines (SVM). The models produced by the three approaches exhibited notable correlations between anticipated outcomes and datasets. For the optimal design of circulating well parameters, machine learning methods not only improve the optimization speed, but also expand the scope of parameter optimization. Consequently, these models were applied to optimize the configuration of the GCW at a site in Xi'an. The optimal scheme for R (Q = 293.17 m 3 /d, a = 6.09 m, L = 7.28 m) and optimal scheme for Pr (Q = 300 m 3 /d, a = 3.64 m, L = 1 m) were obtained. The combination of numerical simulations and machine learning is an effective tool for optimizing and predicting the GCW remediation effect., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

In order to study the failure mode and fracture evolution characteristics of red shale in Kaiyang Phosphorus mining area, conventional triaxial compression mechanical tests of red shale with different bedding dip angles were carried out by using DSTD-1000 electro-hydraulic servo rock mechanics experiment system. Based on the laboratory test results, the conventional triaxial particle flow simulation of red shale samples with different bedding dip angles was carried out using discrete element PFC2D. The results show that: (1) the failure mode of red shale is controlled by bedrock when the bedding dip angle is 0° and 60° ~ 90°. When the bedding dip angle is 15° ~ 45°, the rock failure mode is controlled by bedding. The compressive strength of rock is the minimum when the bedding dip angle is 30°and the maximum at 0°, which is about 2 times of the minimum. (2) In the failure process of red shale, the cracks with different bedding dip angles show slow growth stage, accelerated growth stage and stable stage with axial strain. The whole failure process is dominated by tensile cracks, accompanied by a few shear cracks. (3) The type of displacement field varies with the bedding dip angle: tensile failure and shear failure are the main displacement field types at 15° ~ 45°, and mixed failure is often the main mode at 60° ~ 90°and 0°. The research results provide the basis and reference for the safety control of red shale roadway., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

More than 70% of the potash fertilizer globally is produced by the froth flotation process, in which 4-dodecylmorpholine (DMP) serves as a reverse flotation agent. As the potash fertilizer production rapidly rises, the increased DMP levels in discharged brine pose a threat to the production of high-value chemicals. In this paper, composite particles of basic magnesium sulfate@TiO 2 (BMS@TiO 2 ) were prepared using a simple and mild loading method. These particles were utilized for the adsorption and photocatalytic degradation of DMP in brine. Compared with normal powdered materials, the granular BMS@TiO 2 in this study can be easily separated from liquid, and the degradation intermediates will not enter the brine without causing secondary pollution. BMS@TiO 2 consists of 5·1·7 phase (5Mg(OH) 2 ·MgSO 4 ·7H 2 O) whisker clusters embedding 2.3% TiO 2 . The adsorption equilibrium of DMP on BMS@TiO 2 particles was achieved through hydrogen bonding and pore interception with the adsorption capacity of approximately 5 mg g -1 after 6 h. The photodegradation efficiency of DMP adsorbed on BMS@TiO 2 reached about 92% within 16 h, which is compared with that of pure TiO 2 nanoparticles. Additionally, excellent stability and recyclability of BMS@TiO 2 were also observed in five cycle tests of adsorption and photocatalytic degradation of DMP, and the possible photocatalytic degradation pathways and mechanism of DMP are proposed following molecular electrostatic potential analysis. This work provides a sustainable and environmentally friendly approach for eliminating organic micropollutants from water environments., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

High voltage circuit breakers are one of the core equipment in power system operation, and the voiceprint signals generated during operation contain extremely rich information. This paper proposes a fault identification method for high voltage circuit breakers based on voiceprint information data. Firstly, based on the developed voiceprint information data acquisition device, the voiceprint information of a certain high voltage circuit breaker is obtained; Secondly, an improved S-transform is proposed in the article, which generates an amplitude matrix based on the S-transform of voiceprint information; Then, through the matrix Singular value decomposition method, the fault feature quantity of voiceprint information is extracted from the time-frequency angle, and the diagnosis system of the support vector machine model is established, and the system is trained to realize the fault identification of the high-voltage circuit breaker; Finally, through experimental simulation calculations, it was shown that the accuracy of the proposed fault identification method in different operating conditions reached 92.6%, verifying the good accuracy and robustness of the proposed method and equipment., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Thyroid nodules are a common occurrence, and although most are non-cancerous, some can be malignant. The American College of Radiology has developed the Thyroid Imaging Reporting and Data System (TI-RADS) to standardize the interpretation and reporting of thyroid ultrasound results. Within TI-RADS, a category 4 designation signifies a thyroid nodule with an intermediate level of suspicion for malignancy. Accurate classification of these nodules is crucial for proper management, as it can potentially reduce unnecessary surgeries and improve patient outcomes. This study utilized deep learning techniques to effectively classify TI-RADS category 4 thyroid nodules as either benign or malignant. A total of 500 patients were included in the study and randomly divided into a training group (350 patients) and a test group (150 patients). The YOLOv3 model was constructed and evaluated using various metrics, achieving an 84% accuracy in the classification of TI-RADS category 4 thyroid nodules. Based on the predictions of the model, along with clinical and ultrasound data, a nomogram was developed. The performance of the nomogram was superior in both the training and testing groups. Furthermore, the calibration curve demonstrated good agreement between predicted probabilities and actual outcomes. Decision curve analysis further confirmed that the nomogram provided greater net benefits. Ultimately, the YOLOv3 model and nomogram successfully improved the accuracy of distinguishing between benign and malignant TI-RADS category 4 thyroid nodules, which is crucial for proper management and improved patient outcomes., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

With the development and the application popularization of artificial intelligence robot technology and 5G technology, a robotic arm is designed and developed for rinsing porcelain bushing in high voltage substation in this paper. Firstly, the components and implementation of robotic arm are presented, subsequently, a circular cleaning structure with a 120-degree split is proposed to rinse the porcelain bushing. Secondly, a two-stage simple and effective method to realize automatic orientation is proposed utilizing photoelectric switches. Moreover, a prototype of robotic arm with control system is developed based on the regime switching function, and the result of edge computing is transmitted by 5G technology. Finally, feasibility and effectiveness of the robotic arm are verified in the Nanjing power grid. The case study manifests that the robotic arm developed by the proposed method in the paper can achieve efficient rinsing and all the corresponding information can be transmitted preciously. The proposed method lays a foundation for wide application of cleaning robot in high voltage substation., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Coal-series diatomite (CSD) is widely distributed in China and has poor functional and structural properties and exhibits limited utilization of high value-added materials, resulting in a serious waste of resources and tremendous pressure on the environment. Moreover, due to differences in the mineralogical characteristics of CSD, different particle size scales (PSSs) have different functional structures and exhibit different self-similarities. In this study, we took CSD as the research object and PSS as the entry point and carried out a self-similarity study based on gas adsorption and an image processing method to illustrate the microstructures and self-similarities of different PSSs. The results showed that the pore structure of the CSD was dominated by mesopores and macropores and basically lacked micropores. The fractal dimensions were calculated with the Frenkel-Haisey-Hill (FHH) model and Menger model, and the D F1 values for - 0.025 mm and - 2 mm were 2.51 and 2.48, respectively, and the D M1 values were 3.75 and 3.79, respectively, indicating that the mesopore structure of the fine PSS was complex, whereas macropores were present in the coarse PSS. MATLAB was programmed to obtain grayscale thresholds, binarized images, grayscale histograms, three-dimensional (3D) reconstruction images and box dimensions, which enabled us to observe the microstructures and self-similarities of the CSD. Self-similarity studies based on particle sizes are very important for functional application of CSD.Please note that article title mismatch between MS and JS we have followed MS, kindly check and cofirm.Yes, I have checked and confirmed.Kindly check and confirm corresponding author mail id are correctly identified.Yes, I have checked and confirmed., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Atmospheric pollution significantly impacts the regional economy and human health, and its prediction has been increasingly emphasized. The performance of traditional prediction methods is limited due to the lack of historical data support in new atmospheric monitoring sites. Therefore, this paper proposes a two-stage attention mechanism model based on transfer learning (TL-AdaBiGRU). First, the first stage of the model utilizes a temporal distribution characterization algorithm to segment the air pollutant sequences into periods. It introduces a temporal attention mechanism to assign self-learning weights to the period segments in order to filter out essential period features. Then, in the second stage of the model, a multi-head external attention mechanism is introduced to mine the network's hidden layer key features. Finally, the adequate knowledge learned by the model at the source domain site is migrated to the new site to improve the prediction capability of the new site. The results show that (1) the model is modeled from the data distribution perspective, and the critical information within the sequence of periodic segments is mined in depth. (2) The model employs a unique two-stage attention mechanism to capture complex nonlinear relationships in air pollutant data. (3) Compared with the existing models, the mean absolute error (MAE), root mean square error (RMSE), and mean absolute percentage error (MAPE) of the model decreased by 14%, 13%, and 4%, respectively, and the prediction accuracy was greatly improved., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Institutions have an enhanced ability to implement tailored mitigation measures during infectious disease outbreaks. However, macro-level predictive models are inefficient for guiding institutional decision-making due to uncertainty in local-level model input parameters. We present an institutional-level modeling toolkit used to inform prediction, resource procurement and allocation, and policy implementation at Clemson University throughout the Covid-19 pandemic. Through incorporating real-time estimation of disease surveillance and epidemiological measures based on institutional data, we argue this approach helps minimize uncertainties in input parameters presented in the broader literature and increases prediction accuracy. We demonstrate this through case studies at Clemson and other university settings during the Omicron BA.1 and BA.4/BA.5 variant surges. The input parameters of our toolkit are easily adaptable to other institutional settings during future health emergencies. This methodological approach has potential to improve public health response through increasing the capability of institutions to make data-informed decisions that better prioritize the health and safety of their communities while minimizing operational disruptions., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

To verify the novel method of achieving a true-triaxial stress path with the pseudo-triaxial apparatus, a series of drained and undrained tests were carried out for the identical scheme with pseudo-triaxial apparatus and true-triaxial apparatus respectively. The differences between the two types of tests were quantified. The results show that the novel method effectively achieved the true-triaxial stress path by controlling the loading ratio of the pseudo-triaxial apparatus. The relationships of q - ε 1 and η - ε s measured by the two apparatuses had a higher similarity which decreases slightly with the b increase. When 0 ≤ b < 0.5, the slope of the critical state line measured by both apparatuses was almost identical. When 0.5 ≤ b ≤ 1, the slope of the critical state line measured by the novel method was slightly lower, but the biggest change was within 10% compared with the two Mohr-Coulomb criteria, the peak strength measured by the two apparatuses was distributed near the criteria, indicating the feasibility and rationality of the novel method. The tests show that the novel method greatly enriches the test range of pseudo-triaxial apparatus, which not only simplifies the process of soil 3D testing but also reduces the test cost., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

The non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol to high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ratio (NHHR) is a recently developed lipid parameter, but there is currently a lack of research exploring its relationship with periodontitis. This study aims to identify the potential association between NHHR and periodontitis. The association between NHHR and periodontitis were examined through univariate and multivariate weighted logistic regression utilizing the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey data from 2009 to 2014. The participants were grouped based on the type of periodontitis. This study included a total of 9023 participants, with 1947 individuals having no periodontitis, and an additional 7076 individuals suffering from periodontitis. Patients in periodontitis group demonstrated a statistically significant elevation in NHHR values 2.82 (2.05-3.80) compared to those in no periodontitis group (p < 0.001). Logistic regression analysis of variables demonstrated a positive association between NHHR and periodontitis [1.07 (1.02, 1.12) p = 0.0067]. The study revealed a positive association between NHHR and an elevated prevalence of periodontitis development. For each unit increase in NHHR, there is a 7% increase in the prevalence of periodontitis. Further investigations into NHHR may enhance our understanding of preventing and treating periodontitis. However, additional studies are required to validate these findings., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Acute myocardial infarction (AMI), a critical manifestation of coronary heart disease, presents a complex and not entirely understood etiology. This study investigates the potential role of immune infiltration and endothelial-mesenchymal transition (EndoMT) in AMI pathogenesis. We conducted an analysis of the GSE24519 and MSigDB datasets to identify differentially expressed genes associated with the TGF-β signaling pathway (DE-TSRGs) and carried out a functional enrichment analysis. Additionally, we evaluated immune infiltration in AMI and its possible link to myocardial fibrosis. Key genes were identified using machine learning and LASSO logistic regression. The expression of MEOX1 in the ventricular muscles and endothelial cells of Sprague-Dawley rats was assessed through RT-qPCR, immunohistochemical and immunofluorescence assays, and the effect of MEOX1 overexpression on EndoMT was investigated. Our study identified five DE-TSRGs, among which MEOX1, SMURF1, and SPTBN1 exhibited the most significant associations with AMI. Notably, we detected substantial immune infiltration in AMI specimens, with a marked increase in neutrophils and macrophages. MEOX1 demonstrated consistent expression patterns in rat ventricular muscle tissue and endothelial cells, and its overexpression induced EndoMT. Our findings suggest that the TGF-β signaling pathway may contribute to AMI progression by activating the immune response. MEOX1, linked to the TGF-β signaling pathway, appears to facilitate myocardial fibrosis via EndoMT following AMI. These novel insights into the mechanisms of AMI pathogenesis could offer promising therapeutic targets for intervention., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

The polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) concentrations in total suspended particulate matter (TSP) samples collected from October, 2021 to September, 2022 were analyzed to clarify the pollution characteristics and sources of 16 PAHs in the atmospheric TSP in Bengbu City. The ρ(PAHs) concentrations ranged from 1.71 to 43.85 ng/m 3 and higher concentrations were detected in winter, followed by spring, autumn, and summer. The positive matrix factorization analysis revealed that, in spring and summer, PAH pollution was caused mainly by industrial emissions, gasoline and diesel fuel combustion, whereas in autumn and winter, it was coal, biomass and natural gas combustion. The cluster and potential source factor analyses showed that long-range transport was a significant factor. During spring, autumn, and winter, the northern and northwestern regions had a significant impact, whereas the coastal area south of Bengbu had the greatest influence in summer. The health risk assessment revealed that the annual total carcinogenic equivalent concentration values for PAHs varied from 0.0159 to 7.437 ng/m 3 , which was classified as moderate. Furthermore, the annual incremental lifetime cancer risk values ranged from 1.431 × 10 -4 to 3.671 × 10 -3 for adults and from 6.823 × 10 -5 to 1.749 × 10 -3 for children, which were higher than the standard., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Facing to a planar tracking problem, a multiple-interpretable improved Proximal Policy Optimization (PPO) algorithm with few-shot technique is proposed, namely F-GBQ-PPO. Compared with the normal PPO, the main improvements of F-GBQ-PPO are to increase the interpretability, and reduce the consumption for real interaction samples. Considering to increase incomprehensibility of a tracking policy, three levels of interpretabilities has been studied, including the perceptual, logical and mathematical interpretabilities. Detailly speaking, it is realized through introducing a guided policy based on Apollonius circle, a hybrid exploration policy based on biological motions, and the update of external parameters based on quantum genetic algorithm. Besides, to deal with the potential lack of real interaction samples in real applications, a few-shot technique is contained in the algorithm, which mainly generate fake samples through a multi-dimension Gaussian process. By mixing fake samples with real ones in a certain proportion, the demand for real samples can be reduced., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

This study aimed to investigate the potential of autophagy-related genes (ATGs) as a prognostic signature for HCC and explore their relationships with immune cells and immune checkpoint molecules. A total of 483 samples were collected from the GEO database (n = 115) and The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database (n = 368). The GEO dataset was used as the training set, while the TCGA dataset was used for validation. The list of ATGs was obtained from the human autophagy database (HADB). Using Cox regression and LASSO regression methods, a prognostic signature based on ATGs was established. The independent use of this prognostic signature was tested through subgroup analysis. Additionally, the predictive value of this signature for immune-related profiles was explored. Following selection through univariate Cox regression analysis and iterative LASSO Cox analysis, a total of 11 ATGs were used in the GEO dataset to establish a prognostic signature that stratified patients into high- and low-risk groups based on survival. The robustness of this prognostic signature was validated using an external dataset. This signature remained a prognostic factor even in subgroups with different clinical features. Analysis of immune profiles revealed that patients in the high-risk group exhibited immunosuppressive states characterized by lower immune scores and ESTIMATE scores, greater tumour purity, and increased expression of immune checkpoint molecules. Furthermore, this signature was found to be correlated with the infiltration of different immune cell subpopulations. The results suggest that the ATG-based signature can be utilized to evaluate the prognosis of HCC patients and predict the immune status within the tumour microenvironment (TME). However, it is important to note that this study represents a preliminary attempt to use ATGs as prognostic indicators for HCC, and further validation is necessary to determine the predictive power of this signature., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Psoraleae Fructus (PF) is a widely-used herb with diverse pharmacological activities, while its related hepatic injuries have aroused public concerns. In this work, a systematic approach based on RNA sequencing (RNA-seq), high-content screening (HCS) and molecular docking was developed to investigate the potential mechanism and identify major phytochemicals contributed to PF-induced hepatotoxicity. Animal experiments proved oral administration of PF water extracts disturbed lipid metabolism and promoted hepatic injuries by suppressing fatty acid and cholesterol catabolism. RNA-seq combined with KEGG enrichment analysis identified mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) as the potential key pathway. Further experiments validated PF caused mitochondrial structure damage, mtDNA depletion and inhibited expressions of genes engaged in OXPHOS. By detecting mitochondrial membrane potential and mitochondrial superoxide, HCS identified bavachin, isobavachalcone, bakuchiol and psoralidin as most potent mitotoxic compounds in PF. Moreover, molecular docking confirmed the potential binding patterns and strong binding affinity of the critical compounds with mitochondrial respiratory complex. This study unveiled the underlying mechanism and phytochemicals in PF-induced liver injuries from the view of mitochondrial dysfunction., (© 2024. The Author(s).)