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The load-sensing electro-hydrostatic actuator (LS-EHA) allows to reduce the thermal output and enhance the dynamic characteristics of the more electric aircraft (MEA). In addition, the forecasting of the LS-EHA is crucial for its efficient functioning. This study proposes a novel model for the analysis of overturning and wear characterization of the slipper, while focusing on the partial abrasion. The transient thermoelastic hydrodynamic (TEHD) lubricating analysis of the slipper pair is solved by an analytical model along with the finite difference method. In the proposed partial abrasion model, the non-uniformity of the oil film thickness and the partial abrasion contour for the slipper bottom surface are considered through the discrete friction area approach in order to reach a higher precision. Afterward, the overturning behavior characteristics of the slipper and the variation law in its overturning behavior under different rotation speeds, load delivery pressures, and swashplate angles are analyzed. The obtained results demonstrate that the lubricating oil film field is unevenly distributed, and the overturning behavior of the slipper has certain variable load characteristics. Finally, the effectiveness and precision of the proposed partial abrasion model are validated through comparative simulation experiments and analysis.

Background Mental health problems in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are common and frequently neglected. Digital psychological interventions may reduce mental health problems, but their effectiveness has not been evaluated in the Chinese COPD population. In this study, we will develop an integrated digital psychological intervention ( EmoEase ) and evaluate its effectiveness and cost-effectiveness in enhancing the mental wellbeing of patients with COPD in China. Methods This study is a multicenter, two-arm, randomized controlled trial (RCT) with a parallel-group design to enroll at least 420 patients with COPD with age over 35 years. Participants will be assigned to receive either usual care (control group) or usual care + EmoEase (intervention group). Assessments will take place at baseline (T0) and 4 weeks (T1), 8 weeks (T2), and 16 weeks (T3) after baseline, and participants will be asked to complete questionnaires and physical measurements. The primary outcome measure will assess mental wellbeing using the Warwick Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scale (WEMWBS). Secondary outcome measures will assess mental health, physical health, COPD symptoms, health risk behaviors, socioeconomic indicators, and healthcare utilization and expenditure. Analyses will utilize an intention-to-treat approach. Discussion This is the first RCT to examine the value of EmoEase , a novel digital psychological intervention for patients with COPD. If this intervention is effective and cost-effective, it could be rapidly scaled up to provide mental healthcare for patients with COPD in China. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT06026709. Date of first submission: 30 August 2023. https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT06026709

With the rapid development of distributed generation, represented by photovoltaic power, the access of a large number of distributed generation poses threats to the security and reliable operation of islanded distribution networks. However, relying on the distributed energy storage system can stabilize the island power supply, which can effectively improve the reliability of the island distribution network. To this end, under the premise of knowing photovoltaic output and load forecast curve, this paper proposes a distributed energy storage optimization configuration method in the active islanding operation mode of multi-source distribution network, which satisfies the “N-1″ safety criterion. First, this paper establishes an optimization configuration model for distributed energy storage with multiple objectives, including minimizing the load shedding in the non-fault loss of power zone, the initial investment cost of distributed energy storage, the node voltage deviation and the system frequency offset. Then, aiming at the islanded power flow calculation process mentioned above, an improved trust region algorithm is proposed, and integrating this method with the harmony search algorithm and ”N-1″ safety criterion solves the model. Finally, the IEEE 33-node distribution system is used to test the performance of the proposed algorithm. The results show that the proposed improved trust region algorithm has the advantages of fast convergence speed and short time-consumption compared with the traditional trust region algorithm. And the proposed optimization configuration scheme for distributed energy storage can satisfy the “N-1″ safety criterion of the distribution network under different fault scenarios.

Abstract Background Owing to poor organ function reserve, older adults have a high risk of postoperative complications. However, there is no well-established system for assessing the risk of complications after hepatectomy in older adults. Methods This study aimed to design a risk assessment tool to predict the risk of complications after hepatectomy in adults older than 75 years. A total of 326 patients were identified. A logistic regression equation was used to create the Risk Assessment System of Hepatectomy in Adults (RASHA) for the prediction of complications (Clavien‒Dindo classification ≥ II). Results Multivariate correlation analysis revealed that comorbidity (≥ 5 kinds of disease or

ABSTRACT: E2F transcription factor 5 (E2F5) gene is a transcription factor, plays an important role in the development of a variety of cells. E2F5 is expressed in human and mouse adipocytes, but its specific function in adipogenesis is unclear. Krüppel-like factor 7 (KLF7) facilitates proliferation and inhibits differentiation in chicken preadipocytes. Our previous KLF7 chromatin immunoprecipitation-sequencing analysis revealed a KLF7-binding peak in the 3′ flanking region of the E2F5, indicating a regulatory role of KLF7 in this region. In the present study, we investigated E2F5 potential role, the overexpression and knockdown analyses revealed that E2F5 inhibited the differentiation and promoted the proliferation of chicken preadipocytes. Moreover, we identified enhancer activity in the 3′ flanking region (nucleotides +22661/+22900) of E2F5 and found that KLF7 overexpression increased E2F5 expression and luciferase activity in this region. Deleting the putative KLF7-binding site eliminated the promoting effect of KLF7 overexpression on E2F5 expression. Further, E2F5 reversed the KLF7-induced decrease in preadipocyte differentiation and increase in preadipocyte proliferation. Taken together, our findings demonstrate that KLF7 inhibits differentiation and promotes proliferation in preadipocytes by enhancing E2F5 transcription.

Distant metastasis is a major cause of treatment failure in cancer patients and a key challenge to improving cancer care today. We hypothesized that enhancing anti-cancer immune response and inhibiting circulating tumor cells (CTCs) adhesion and transendothelial migration through synergistic multi-target approaches may effectively prevent cancer metastasis. “Fuyuan Decoction” (FYD) is a traditional Chinese medicine compound that is widely used to prevent postoperative metastasis in cancer patients, but its underlying mechanism remains unclear. In this work, we systematically elucidated the underlying molecular mechanism by which FYD prevents cancer metastasis through multi-compound and multi-target synergies in vitro and in vivo. FYD significantly prevented cancer metastasis at non-cytotoxic concentrations by suppressing the adhesion of CTCs to endothelial cells and their subsequent transendothelial migration, as well as enhancing anti-cancer immune response. Mechanistically, FYD interrupts adhesion of CTCs to vascular endothelium by inhibiting TNF-α-induced CAMs expression via regulation of the NF-κB signaling pathway in endothelial cells. FYD inhibits invasion and migration of CTCs by suppressing EMT, PI3K/AKT and FAK signaling pathways. Moreover, FYD enhances the anti-cancer immune response by significantly increasing the population of Tc and NK cells in the peripheral immune system. In addition, the chemical composition of FYD was determined by UPLC-HRMS, and the results indicated that multiple compounds in FYD prevents cancer metastasis through multi-target synergistic treatment. This study provides a modern medical basis for the application of FYD in the prevention of cancer metastasis, and suggesting that multi-drug and multi-target synergistic therapy may be one of the most effective ways to prevent cancer metastasis.

Abstract Background The FRAIL scale for evaluating frailty consists of five items: fatigue, resistance, aerobic, illness, and loss of weight. However, it is difficult to obtain a specific weight loss value. Since the Timed Up and Go Test (TUGT) is simple, accurate, and easy to perform, we replaced weight loss with the TUGT in the FRAIL scale, with the remaining four items unchanged, and named it the FRAIT scale. The aim of this study was to determine the value of the FRAIT scale in predicting the peri-operative outcome of hepatectomy. Methods This model development study was conducted between January 2017 and December 2021. The reliability, validity and area under the curve (AUC) of the FRAIL/FRAIT scales were calculated. The frailty status of patients aged ≥ 75 years who underwent hepatectomy was measured using the FRAIL/FRAIT scales. Logistic regression was used to compare the relationship between FRAIL/FRAIT scores/grades and perioperative outcomes. Results The AUCs for predicting operation duration, intraoperative bleeding, complications, and death based on the FRAIL score were 0.692, 0.740, 0.709, and 0.733, respectively, and those based on the FRAIT score were 0.700, 0.745, 0.708, and 0.724, respectively. The AUCs for predicting operation duration, intraoperative bleeding, complications, and death based on the FRAIL grade were 0.693, 0.735, 0.695, and 0.755, respectively, and those based on the FRAIT grades were 0.700, 0.758, 0.699, and 0.750, respectively. The FRAIL score has three effective predictors (intraoperative bleeding, complications, and death), while the FRAIT score has four effective predictors (operation duration, intraoperative bleeding, complications, and death). The FRAIL grade has two effective predictors (intraoperative bleeding and death), while the FRAIT grade has three effective predictors (operation duration, intraoperative bleeding, and death). Conclusions This study describes a new and more effective tool for the assessment of preoperative frailty in older adults undergoing hepatectomy. The items of the FRAIT scale are easier to obtain than those of the FRAIL scale, and the predictive effect of the FRAIT scale is stronger than that of the FRAIL scale.

Rewards act as external motivators and can improve performance in various cognitive tasks. However, previous research demonstrated mixed findings regarding the effect of reward on working memory (WM) performance, and the question of whether reward enhances WM performance is arguable. It remains unclear how the effect of reward on WM can be influenced by various factors, such as types of reward and experimental paradigms. In this meta-analytic study, we systematically investigated the effect of reward on WM by analyzing data from 51 eligible studies involving a total of 1767 participants. Our results showed that reward robustly enhanced WM performance, with non-monetary rewards inducing more benefits than monetary rewards. This may be because, while both types of reward could induce extrinsic motivation, non-monetary rewards enhanced intrinsic motivation while monetary rewards reduced it. Notably, all three reward methods—reward binding, reward expectation, and subliminal reward—effectively improved WM performance, with the reward binding paradigm exhibiting the greatest effects. This finding suggests that the reward effect can be attributed to both increasing the total amount of WM resources and improving the flexibility of resource reallocation. Moreover, the type of WM, the experimental paradigms, and the outcome measures are three moderators that should be jointly considered when assessing the reward effects on WM. Overall, this meta-analytic study provides solid evidence that reward improves WM performance and reveals possible mechanisms underlying these improvements.

Recent advancements in network and multimedia technologies have facilitated the distribution and sharing of digital videos over the Internet. These long videos contain very complex contents. Additionally, it is very challenging to use as few frames as possible to cover the video contents without missing too much information. There are at least two ways to describe these complex videos contents with minimal frames: the keyframes extracted from the video or the video summary. The former lays stress on covering the whole video contents as much as possible. The latter emphasizes covering the video contents of interest. As a consequence, keyframes are widely used in many areas such as video segmentation and object tracking. In this paper, we propose a keyframe extraction method based on multiple features via a novel combinatorial optimization algorithm. The key frame extraction is modeled as a combinatorial optimization problem. A fast dynamic programming algorithm based on a forward non-overlapping transfer matrix in polynomial time and a 0-1 integer linear programming algorithm based on an overlapping matrix is proposed to solve our maximization problem. In order to quantitatively evaluate our approach, a long video dataset named 'Animal world' is self-constructed, and the segmentation evaluation criterions are introduced. A good result is achieved on 'Animal world' dataset and a public available Keyframe-Sydney KFSYD dataset [1].

Industrial wastewater typically contains many organic and inorganic pollutants and is also contaminated by various microorganisms. Microbial species in industrial wastewater have not been extensively investigated. In this experiment, a Klebsiella pneumoniae strain was isolated for the first time from industrial wastewater containing a high concentration of sulfate and phosphate. Mass spectrometry, genetic analysis, and biochemical identification were conducted to understand the genetic and biochemical characteristics of this Klebsiella pneumoniae strain recovered from industrial wastewater. Growth experiments revealed that it exhibited an excellent growth rate in nutrient broth. Further analyses showed that the strain was sensitive to most antibiotics but resistant to chloramphenicol and nitrofurantoin. It also exhibited significant resistance to piperacillin/tazobactam and cefotaxime/clavulanic acid. Resistance gene experiments indicated the presence of gyrA, OqxB, and ParC genes associated with antibiotic resistance in the isolated Klebsiella pneumoniae strain. Proteomics uncovered the following three proteins related to drug resistance: the multi-drug resistant outer membrane protein MdtQ, the multi-drug resistant secretion protein, and the modulator of drug activity B, which are coexistent in Klebsiella pneumoniae. Proteomics and bioinformatics analyses further analyzed the protein composition and functional enrichment of Klebsiella pneumoniae. The isolation of Klebsiella pneumoniae from a high concentration in sulfate and phosphate industrial wastewater provides a new direction for further research on the characteristics and drug resistance traits of industrial wastewater microorganisms and the potential risks they may pose when released into the environment.

With the continuous expansion of the scale of power generated by grid-connected renewable energy, the form and operation characteristics of power grids have undergone significant changes, and the power electronic characteristics of power systems are prominent, resulting in the frequent occurrence of wide-band oscillation problems when renewable energy power generation equipment is connected to a power grid. Oscillation has the characteristics of nonlinearity and has an oscillation frequency ranging from a few hertz to several thousand hertz or more, which seriously threatens the stable operation of power grids. This paper summarizes the wide-band oscillation events that occur worldwide under the background of renewable energy access to power grids, classifies the wide-band oscillation events according to the distribution of oscillation frequency bands, and sorts out the characteristics of various oscillations. From the perspectives of the source side and network side, the existing oscillation suppression measures are classified and prospected.

Opsariichthys bidens (O. bidens) is a fish species native to China. It has become a popular ornamental fish because of its interesting colour dimorphism. Its colour pattern is unique; however, with the exception of model species, such as zebrafish, the molecular mechanisms of most fish colour patterns remain unclear. In the present study, we compared and analysed the transcriptomic data of the skin and anal fins of male and female O. bidens. A total of 9028 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified, of which 5259 were upregulated and 3769 were downregulated in males. Compared with known pigmentation genes, Mitf, Tyr, Tyrp1, Dct, Pnp4a, Alx4a, Gch1, and Csf1r were identified as potential genes related to colour dimorphism. Second, we tracked the process of colour development in male O. bidens and found that there were three stages in the formation of body colour. We explored the distribution, migration, and expression patterns of genes related to pigment cells at each stage using microscopic imaging, transmission electron microscopy, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and high-performance liquid chromatography. Melanophores, xanthophores, and iridophores were found to be distributed on the skin or anal fins of O. bidens. It was inferred that this unique body colour pattern is caused by the differentiation and migration of pigment cells at specific stages. This discovery provides a basis for studying the molecular mechanisms of pigmentation in ornamental fish and will contribute to the genetic selection and breeding of O. bidens in ornamental fish cultures in the future.

Monosodium glutamate (MSG) production has been attracting environmental concerns due to its high energy consumption and high pollutant discharge, especially to water and the air. The water footprint of MSG has been investigated in previous studies; however, the carbon emissions have not been evaluated. This study conducted a carbon footprint analysis on monosodium glutamate production, to identify the critical material and stage that contribute the most to the carbon footprint during MSG production. The results indicated that the carbon footprint of producing 1 t of MSG is 3.14 × 103 kgCO2eq, and 32.92 % of which is from the extraction and refinement process. Indirect emissions from raw materials used in MSG production, such as caustic soda liquid and concentrated sulfuric acid, and on-site emissions from the prodsteam production are major carbon footprint contributors. In addition, the glutamate fermentation stage accounts for 23.35 % of the total carbon footprint of MSG production due to the use of steam and liquid ammonia. In terms of the hotspot of carbon footprint in MSG production, it is identified that the steam used is the largest contributor, accounting for 34.90 % of the total carbon footprint in MSG production, followed by coal (16.47 %). Based on the research results, several cleaner production suggestions, such as greener raw materials utilization, green supply chain construction, and industrial symbiosis network establishment are proposed to further reduce the overall carbon footprint of MSG production.

Abstract Background Patients diagnosed with pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) have poor sleep quality due to multiple factors. We aimed to assess the sleep status and related factors of TB patients in Shenzhen, China. Methods A questionnaire survey was conducted on 461 TB patients hospitalized at Shenzhen Third People’s Hospital from March 2021 to January 2022, and sleep quality was assessed using the Pittsburgh sleep quality index (PSQI). Results A total of 459 valid questionnaires were collected, and 238 of the 459 TB patients had general or poor sleep quality (PSQI > 5). Patients’ gender, marriage, nutritional screening score, family atmosphere, fear of discrimination, fear of interactions, and the impact of the disease on their work life had significant effects on sleep quality (P

Introduction: Load Redistribution (LR) attacks, as a common form of false data injection attack, have emerged as a significant cybersecurity threat to power system operations by manipulating load buses’ measurements at substations. Existing LR attack methods typically assume that any substation can be equally attacked, contributing to the analysis of LR attacks in power systems. However, the diversity of cyber vulnerabilities in substation communication links implies varying costs associated with falsifying load buses’ measurements. Thus, quantitatively evaluating these costs and analyzing the impact of LR attacks on power systems within cost constraints holds practical significance.Methods: In this paper, we employ a Bayesian attack graph model to characterize the intrusion process through cyber vulnerabilities. The costs of falsifying load buses’ measurements at substations are quantitatively evaluated using the mean time-to-compromise model. Subsequently, from the attacker’s perspective, we propose a bi-level optimization model for LR attacks, considering the mean time to compromise in conjunction with limited attack resources and power flow constraints.Results: Simulations conducted on the IEEE 14-bus system illustrate the influence of cyber vulnerabilities on LR attacks within power systems. Furthermore, we verify that the attack scenario of the existing LR attack model aligns with a case of the proposed bi-level LR attack model when there is sufficient attack time to compromise all communication links.Discussion: The findings of this research demonstrate that the impact of cyber vulnerabilities on LR attacks can be quantified by assessing the attack costs. Effective management of LR attacks can be achieved under cost constraints through optimization methods. These insights contribute to enhancing network security strategies for power systems, mitigating potential threats posed by LR attacks in power system operations.

The cultivation of vocational core competencies is one of the essential guarantees to realizing students’ overall development. It is also a key quality and ability to promote students’ adaptation to lifelong development and career requirements. In this study involving 844 higher vocational students in Beijing, we analyzed the effect of vocational core competencies on innovative behavior. We find that sophisticated relationships exist between vocational core competencies, creative self-efficacy, innovative behaviors, and core self-evaluation. Innovative behavior positively correlated with vocational core competencies, in which creative self-efficacy has a partial mediating effect, positively regulated by core self-evaluation. Thus, higher vocational colleges should emphasize developing vocational core competencies systems and cultivating students’ innovative behaviors to promote all-around development.

Abstract In this paper, a novel dual‐stopband frequency selective surface (FSS) based on the knitted and strong‐coupled structures is proposed. The proposed FSS works stably at frequencies of 2.51 and 5.06 GHz for both TE and TM mode, even when the incident angles vary from 0° to 75°. The element size and thickness of the proposed structure are λ0/16 and λ0/170, respectively, where λ0 represents the free‐space wavelength. To clarify the operating principle, a general equivalent circuit model (ECM) is developed. A prototype of the proposed FSS is fabricated and measured. It is demonstrated that the proposed structure has good angular stability, polarisation insensitivity, and independent operation in the dual‐stopband. Importantly, the proposed structure has good prospects for application in dual‐band electromagnetic shielding in complex environments.

Cytokinin oxidase/dehydrogenase (CKX) irreversibly degrades cytokinin, regulates growth and development, and helps plants to respond to environmental stress. Although the CKX gene has been well characterized in various plants, its role in soybean remains elusive. Therefore, in this study, the evolutionary relationship, chromosomal location, gene structure, motifs, cis-regulatory elements, collinearity, and gene expression patterns of GmCKXs were analyzed using RNA-seq, quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR), and bioinformatics. We identified 18 GmCKX genes from the soybean genome and grouped them into five clades, each comprising members with similar gene structures and motifs. Cis-acting elements involved in hormones, resistance, and physiological metabolism were detected in the promoter regions of GmCKXs. Synteny analysis indicated that segmental duplication events contributed to the expansion of the soybean CKX family. The expression profiling of the GmCKXs genes using qRT-PCR showed tissue-specific expression patterns. The RNA-seq analysis also indicated that GmCKXs play an important role in response to salt and drought stresses at the seedling stage. The responses of the genes to salt, drought, synthetic cytokinin 6-benzyl aminopurine (6-BA), and the auxin indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) at the germination stage were further evaluated by qRT-PCR. Specifically, the GmCKX14 gene was downregulated in the roots and the radicles at the germination stage. The hormones 6-BA and IAA repressed the expression levels of GmCKX1, GmCKX6, and GmCKX9 genes but upregulated the expression levels of GmCKX10 and GmCKX18 genes. The three abiotic stresses also decreased the zeatin content in soybean radicle but enhanced the activity of the CKX enzymes. Conversely, the 6-BA and IAA treatments enhanced the CKX enzymes’ activity but reduced the zeatin content in the radicles. This study, therefore, provides a reference for the functional analysis of GmCKXs in soybean in response to abiotic stresses.

Abstract Previous research evidence suggests that microRNAs (miRNAs) play an indispensable role in onset and progression of bladder cancer (BCa). Here, we explored the functions and mechanisms of miR-5581-3p in BCa. miR-5581-3p, as a tumor suppressor in BCa, was detected at a lower expression level in BCa tissue and cells in contrast with the non-malignant bladder tissue and cells. Over-expression of miR-5581-3p remarkably dampened the migration and proliferation of BCa in vitro and in vivo. SMAD3 and FTO were identified as the direct targets of miR-5581-3p by online databases prediction and mRNA-seq, which were further verified. SMAD3 as a star molecule in modulating EMT progress of BCa had been formulated in former studies. Meanwhile, FTO proved as an N6-methyladenosine (m6A) demethylase in decreasing m6A modification was confirmed to regulate the migration and proliferation in BCa. In addition, we conducted rescue experiments and confirmed overexpressing miR-5581-3p partially rescued the effects of the overexpressing SMAD3 and FTO in BCa cells. In conclusion, our studies exhibit that miR-5581-3p is a novel tumor inhibitor of BCa.

Abstract Background Gastric cancer (GC) shows high metastasis and low survival. RNA modification writers play critical roles in tumor development. This study examined the clinical significance of RNA modification writers in GC prognosis based on four types of adenosine modifications (m1A, m6A, APA and A-to-I). Results Writers demonstrated high mutation and expression in GC patients. Different expressions of 26 RNA modification writers were differentially associated with GC prognosis. High-WM score group appeared worse overall survival, higher immune infiltration and activation of EMT pathways than low-WM score group. WM score was correlated with both miRNAs-targeted signaling pathways and patients’ sensitivity to chemotherapeutic drugs and efficacy of immunotherapy. Conclusions This study further revealed the close association between adenosine-related RNA modifications and progression of GC. A cross talk between EMT and RNA modification was identified to be one of the mechanisms underlying GC development. Our WM scoring system could serve as a clinical indicator for predicting GC prognosis. Importantly, the WM score could guide personalized treatments such as chemotherapy and immunotherapy for GC patients.

With regard to the aims of achieving the “Dual Carbon” goal and addressing the significant greenhouse gas emissions caused by urban expansion, there has been a growing emphasis on spatial research and the prediction of urban carbon emissions. This article examines land use data from 2000 to 2020 and combines Grid and the PLUS model to predict carbon emissions in 2030 through a multi-scenario simulation. The research findings indicate the following: (1) Between 2000 and 2020, construction land increased by 95.83%, with carbon emissions also increasing. (2) By 2030, for the NDS (natural development scenario), carbon emissions are expected to peak at 6012.87 × 104 t. Regarding the ratio obtained through the EDS (economic development scenario), construction land is projected to grow to 3990.72 km2, with expected emissions of 6863.29 × 104 t. For the LCS (low-carbon scenario), the “carbon peak” is expected to be reached before 2030. (3) The intensity of carbon emissions decreases as the city size increases. (4) The shift of the center of carbon emission intensity and the center of construction land all indicate movement towards the southeast. Studying the trends of regional land use change and the patterns of land use carbon emissions is beneficial for optimizing the land use structure, thereby enabling us to achieve low-carbon emission reductions and sustainable urban development.

The process of urbanization has deepened the contradiction between ecosystem services’ supply and demand, resulting in a significant risk to ecological security. Thus, it is imperative to conduct an analysis of the correlation between ecosystem services’ supply and demand to achieve sustainable urban growth. This study evaluated the supply, demand, coordination index, and matching types of ecosystem services’ supply and demand in 2000, 2010, and 2020 based on multisource data in Changchun City. The results showed that ecosystem services’ supply decreased overall, while their demand continued to increase from 2000 to 2020, together with their spatial heterogeneity. The regions characterized by a low supply of and high demand for ecosystem services mostly encompassed central urban regions that have undergone a substantial level of socioeconomic advancement. Conversely, the regions characterized by a high supply and low demand were primarily hilly regions with a sparse population that were situated at higher altitudes. There has been slight incoordination between ecosystem services’ supply and demand in Changchun. In the future, it is imperative for sustainable urban development strategies to protect cultivated and ecological lands, extensively enhance the benefits of the lands, and facilitate the coordinated development of cities, agriculture, and ecology.

In India, Parliamentary Constituencies (PCs) could serve as a regional unit of COVID-19 monitoring that facilitates evidence-based policy decisions. In this study, we presented the first estimates of COVID-19 cumulative cases and deaths per 100,000 population and the case fatality rate (CFR) between 7 January 2020 and 31 January 2021 across PCs and districts of India. We adopted a novel geographic information science-based methodology called crosswalk to estimate COVID-19 outcomes at the PC-level from district-level information. We found a substantial variation of COVID-19 burden within each state and across the country. Access to PC-level and district-level COVID-19 information can enhance both central and regional governmental accountability of safe reopening policies.

Chromatic dispersion in phase gradient metasurface and its impact on the scattered electromagnetic signals are studied in this paper. Due to its intrinsic material dispersion and special spatial arrangement of unit cells, phase gradient metasurfaces produce large chromatic dispersion for the scattering waves, resulting in anomalous reflection and refraction phenomena. Moreover, from the perspective of signal domain, the scattered waves no longer carry the whole information of the incident wave, especially for the wideband ones, because different frequencies are scattered into different directions due to the large chromatic dispersion. This progress is equivalent to a signal modulation in each scattering direction. Here we utilized a simple calculation method to achieve the direction-related spectral response characteristic for a given metasurface using 2D Fourier transform of the 2D phase pattern. Furthermore, a typical wideband radar signal was adopted to give a visualized display of the modulation effect. The simulated results showed that the scattered signals were greatly distorted, causing the correlation reduction and range deviation in radar detection. This work opens a new possibility for metasurface to manipulate the signal characteristic of electromagnetic waves and may prompt new applications in antennas, communication and radar systems

Mulching and nitrogen (N) fertilization are the main drivers for sustainable crop production. The sole use of nitrogen fertilizer threatened both the physiology and production of maize in rain-fed areas. Therefore, we proposed that wheat straw mulching with N fertilization would increase maize yield by improving soil fertility, physiology, and nitrogen use efficiency. A two-year field study evaluated the effects of CK (control), N (nitrogen application at 172 kg ha−1), HS (half wheat straw mulch, 2500 kg ha−1), HS+N (half wheat straw, 2500 kg ha−1 plus 172 kg N ha−1), FS (full wheat straw, 5000 kg ha−1), and FS+N (full wheat straw, 5000 kg ha−1 plus 172 kg N ha−1) on maize growth, physiology, and biochemistry. Compared with the control, the FS+N treatment resulted in the increase of 56% photosynthetic efficiency, 9.6% nitrogen use efficiency, 60% nitrogen uptake, 80% soluble sugar, 59% starches, 48% biomass, and 29% grain yield of maize. In addition, the FS+N regime increased 47%, 42%, and 106% of soil organic carbon and available P and N content in comparison with the control. Maize grain and biomass yields were positively correlated with N uptake, photosynthesis, soil organic carbon, and soil available N and P contents. Conclusively, the use of wheat straw at 5000 kg ha−1, along with 172 kg N ha−1, is a promising option for building a sustainable wheat–maize cropping system to achieve optimal crop yield and improved plant and soil health in a semi-arid region of China.

Besides the two main histologic types of papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC), the classical PTC (CL-PTC) and the follicular variant PTC (FV-PTC), several other variants are described. The encapsulated FV-PTC variant was recently reclassified as noninvasive follicular thyroid neoplasm with papillary-like nuclear features (NIFTP) due to its similarities to benign lesions. Specific molecular signatures, however, are still unavailable. It is well known that improper DNA repair of dysfunctional telomeres may cause telomere-related genome instability. The mechanisms involved in the damaged telomere repair processing may lead to detrimental outcomes, altering the three-dimensional (3D) nuclear telomere and genome organization in cancer cells. This pilot study aimed to evaluate whether a specific 3D nuclear telomere architecture might characterize NIFTP, potentially distinguishing it from other PTC histologic variants. Our findings demonstrate that 3D telomere profiles of CL-PTC and FV-PTC were different from NIFTP and that NIFTP more closely resembles follicular thyroid adenoma (FTA). NIFTP has longer telomeres than CL-PTC and FV-PTC samples, and the telomere length of NIFTP overlaps with that of the FTA histotype. In contrast, there was no association between BRAF expression and telomere length in all tested samples. These preliminary findings reinforce the view that NIFTP is closer to non-malignant thyroid nodules and confirm that PTC features short telomeres.

Metastasis is the leading cause of cancer-related death and a critical challenge in improving cancer treatment today. Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) adhesion to and across the vascular endothelium are critical steps in the establishment of micrometastatic foci away from the primary tumor. Therefore, we believe that interrupting CTCs adhesion to endothelium and transendothelial migration may efficiently prevent cancer metastasis. Fucoxanthin (Fx) is an algal carotenoid widely distributed in brown algae, macroalgae, and diatoms. Previous studies have found that Fx has various pharmacological activities, including antidiabetic, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-obesity, antimalarial, anticancer, and so on. However, it remains unclear whether Fx has a preventive effect on cancer metastasis. Here, we found that Fx interrupts breast cancer cells MCF-7 adhesion to endothelium and transendothelial migration, thus inhibiting CTCs-based pulmonary metastasis in vivo. The hetero-adhesion assay showed that Fx significantly inhibited the expression of inflammatory factor-induced cell adhesion molecules (CAMs) and the resulting adhesion between MCF-7 cells and endothelial cells. The wound-healing and transwell assays showed that Fx significantly inhibited the motility, invasion, and transendothelial migration abilities of MCF-7 cells. However, the same concentration of Fx did not significantly alter the cell viability, cell cycle, apoptosis, and ROS of breast cancer cells, thus excluding the possibility that Fx inhibits MCF-7 cell adhesion and transendothelial migration through cytotoxicity. Mechanistically, Fx inhibits the expression of CAMs on endothelial cells by inhibiting the NF-кB signaling pathway by down-regulating the phosphorylation level of IKK-α/β, IкB-α, and NF-кB p65. Fx inhibits transendothelial migration of MCF-7 cells by inhibiting Epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT), PI3K/AKT, and FAK/Paxillin signaling pathways. Moreover, we demonstrated that Fx significantly inhibits the formation of lung micrometastatic foci in immunocompetent syngeneic mouse breast cancer metastasis models. We also showed that Fx enhances antitumor immune responses by substantially increasing the subsets of cytotoxic T lymphocytes in the peripheral immune system. This new finding provides a basis for the application of Fx in cancer metastatic chemoprevention and suggests that interruption of the CTCs adhesion to endothelium and transendothelial migration may serve as a new avenue for cancer metastatic chemoprevention.

Dietary diversity is an important indicator of child malnutrition. However, little is known about the geographic variation of diet indicators across India, particularly within districts and across states. As such, the purpose of this paper was to elucidate the small area variations in diet indicators between clusters within districts of India. Overall, we found that clusters were the largest source of variation for children not eating grains, roots, and tubers, legumes and nuts, dairy, vitamin A-rich vegetables and fruits, and other vegetables and fruits. We also found positive correlations between the district percent and cluster standard deviations of children not breastfeeding or eating grains, roots, and tubers, but negative correlations between the district percent and cluster standard deviation for the remaining seven outcomes. These findings underscore the importance of targeting clusters to improve child dietary diversity.

Numerous studies reveal that circular RNAs (circRNAs) affect cancer progression. CircWHSC1 is a novel circRNA that accelerates ovarian cancer progression. Nevertheless, the function of circWHSC1 in regulating breast cancer (BC) is elusive. Here, quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) was carried out to detect the profiles of circWHSC1 and miR-195-5p in BC tissues and corresponding non-tumor tissues. Gain- and loss-of-function assays were implemented both in vivo and ex vivo to verify the significance of circWHSC1 in BC development. BC cell proliferation was estimated by the cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) and BrdU assays. Transwell assay was implemented to test BC cell migration and invasion. The protein levels of FASN, AMPK and mTOR were determined by Western blot. Moreover, immunohistochemistry was performed to examine Ki67 and FASN expression. As shown by the result, circWHSC1 was up-regulated in BC tissues versus adjacent non-tumor tissues. circWHSC1 overexpression was correlated with higher tumor stages, lymphatic metastasis and worse survival of BC patients. Functionally, overexpressing circWHSC1 amplified proliferation, migration and invasion of BC cell lines and boosted xenograft tumor growth in nude mice. Bioinformatics uncovered that circWHSC1 functioned as a competitive endogenous RNA by sponging miR-195-5p, which was further corroborated by the dual-luciferase reporter assay and RNA immunoprecipitation. miR-195-5p delayed BC progression, which was dampened by circWHSC1 up-regulation. Fatty acid synthase (FASN) was affirmed as a direct target of miR-195-5p. miR-195-5p overexpression curbed FASN expression and activated its downstream AMPK pathway. Inhibition of FASN or activation of the AMPK pathway reversed circWHSC1-mediated oncogenic effects. Collectively, CircWHSC1 acted as an oncogene to expedite BC evolvement by modulating the miR-195-5p/FASN/AMPK/mTOR pathway.

The WHO’s “Global tuberculosis report 2020” lists tuberculosis (TB) as one of the leading causes of death globally. Existing anti-TB therapy strategies are far from adequate to meet the End TB Strategy goals set for 2035. Therefore, novel anti-TB therapy protocols are urgently needed. Here, we proposed an allogeneic Vγ9Vδ2 T-cell-based immunotherapy strategy and clinically evaluated its safety and efficacy in patients with multidrug-resistant TB (MDR-TB). Eight patients with MDR-TB were recruited in this open-label, single-arm pilot clinical study. Seven of these patients received allogeneic Vγ9Vδ2 T-cell therapy adjunct with anti-TB drugs in all therapy courses. Cells (1 × 108) were infused per treatment every 2 weeks, with 12 courses of cell therapy conducted for each patient, who were then followed up for 6 months to evaluate the safety and efficacy of cell therapy. The eighth patient initially received four courses of cell infusions, followed by eight courses of cell therapy plus anti-MDR-TB drugs. Clinical examinations, including clinical response, routine blood tests and biochemical indicators, chest CT imaging, immune cell surface markers, body weight, and sputum Mycobacterium tuberculosis testing, were conducted. Our study revealed that allogeneic Vγ9Vδ2 T cells are clinically safe for TB therapy. These cells exhibited clinical efficacy in multiple aspects, including promoting the repair of pulmonary lesions, partially improving host immunity, and alleviating M. tuberculosis load in vivo, regardless of their application in the presence or absence of anti-TB drugs. This pilot study opens a new avenue for anti-TB treatment and exhibits allogeneic Vγ9Vδ2 T cells as promising candidates for developing a novel cell drug for TB immunotherapy.Clinical Trial Registration(https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/results?cond=&term=NCT03575299&cntry=&state=&city=&dist=) ( NCT03575299).

The reluctance machine is a potential candidate for electrical vehicle propulsion because of its reliable structure, low cost, flexible flux regulation ability, and wide speed range. However, the torque density is unsatisfactory because of the poor excitation ability and low stator core utilization factor. To solve this problem, in this paper, a novel hybrid reluctance machine (HRM) with the skewed permanent magnet (PM) and the zero-sequence current is proposed for electric vehicles. The skewed PM has two magnetomotive force (MMF) components with different functions. The radial MMF component provides extra torque by the flux modulation effect. The tangential MMF component can generate a constant biased field in the stator core to relieve the saturation caused by the zero-sequence current and thus improve the utilization factor of the stator core. Therefore, torque improvement and the relief of stator core saturation can be simultaneously achieved by the skewed PM. In this paper, the machine structure and principle of the proposed machine are introduced. And ultimately, the machine’s electromagnetic performances are evaluated under different PM magnetization directions and zero-sequence current angles by using finite element analysis (FEA).

To address the difficulty of early fault diagnosis of rolling bearings, this paper proposes a rolling bearing diagnosis method by combining the attention entropy and adaptive deep kernel extreme learning machine (ADKELM). Firstly, the wavelet threshold denoising method is employed to eliminate the noise in the vibration signal. Then, the empirical wavelet transform (EWT) is utilized to decompose the denoised signal, and extract the attention entropy of the intrinsic mode function (IMF) as the feature vector. Next, the hyperparameters of the deep kernel extreme learning machine (DKELM) are optimized using the marine predators algorithm (MPA), so as to achieve the adaptive changes in the DKELM parameters. By analyzing the fault diagnosis performances of the ADKELM model with different kernel functions and hidden layers, the optimal ADKELM model is determined. Compared with conventional machine learning models such as extreme learning machine (ELM), back propagation neural network (BPNN) and probabilistic neural network (PNN), the high efficiency of the method proposed in this paper is verified.

The deep integration of power grids and communication networks is the basis for realizing the complete observability and controllability of power grids. The communication node or link is always built according to the physical nodes. This step is alternatively known as “designing with the same power tower”. However, the communication networks do not form a “one-to-one correspondence” relationship with the power physical network. The existing theory cannot be applied to guide the practical power grid planning. In this paper, a local evolution model of a communication network based on the physical power grid topology is proposed in terms of reconnection probabilities. Firstly, the construction and upgrading of information nodes and links are modeled by the reconnection probabilities. Then, the power flow entropy is employed to identify whether the power cyber-physical system (CPS) is at the self-organized state, indicating the high probability of cascading failures. In addition, on the basis of the cascading failure propagation model of the partially dependent power CPS, operation reliabilities of the power CPS are compared with different reconnection probabilities using the cumulative probability of load loss as the reliable index. In the end, a practical provincial power grid is analyzed as an example. It is shown that the ability of the power CPS to resist cascading failures can be improved by the local growth evolution model of the communication networks. The ability is greater when the probability of reconnection is p = 0.06. By updating or constructing new links, the change in power flow entropy can be effectively reduced.

A theoretical model for studying the temperature properties of singlemode-multimode-singlemode (SMS) fiber structure fabricated by absorptive multimode fiber (MMF) cladding is established. Moreover, an SMS-based temperature sensor is fabricated and experimentally demonstrated. Experimental results show that the dip wavelength of the transmission spectrum changes linearly with temperature, which is in good agreement with the simulated results obtained by using the model. Further, a comprehensive study of temperature characteristics affected by the thermo-optic effect, thermal expansion effect, and thermal effect of absorption characteristics is performed for SMS fiber optic structures with different refractive indexes, thermo-optic coefficients, and absorption properties of MMF cladding, MMF core diameters, and thermal expansion coefficients of packaging shell. According to the obtained rules, investigations are carried out into the thermal response of an SMS fiber structure resulting from combined thermal effects for temperature performance optimization. Excellent temperature stability with a temperature sensitivity of 0 pm/°C or good temperature sensitivity of −441.58 pm/°C is achieved accordingly.

In order to accurately diagnose the fault type of power transformer, this paper proposes a transformer fault diagnosis method based on the combination of time-shift multiscale bubble entropy (TSMBE) and stochastic configuration network (SCN). Firstly, bubble entropy is introduced to overcome the shortcomings of traditional entropy models that rely too heavily on hyperparameters. Secondly, on the basis of bubble entropy, a tool for measuring signal complexity, TSMBE, is proposed. Then, the TSMBE of the transformer vibration signal is extracted as a fault feature. Finally, the fault feature is inputted into the stochastic configuration network model to achieve an accurate identification of different transformer state signals. The proposed method was applied to real power transformer fault cases, and the research results showed that TSMBE-SCN achieved 99.01%, 99.1%, 99.11%, 99.11%, 99.14% and 99.02% of the diagnostic rates under different folding numbers, respectively, compared with conventional diagnostic models MBE-SCN, TSMSE-SCN, MSE-SCN, TSMDE-SCN and MDE-SCN. This comparison shows that TSMBE-SCN has a strong competitive advantage, which verifies that the proposed method has a good diagnostic effect. This study provides a new method for power transformer fault diagnosis, which has good reference value.

With the increase in capacitor voltage transformer (CVT) operation life, CVT impedance changes, and the short-time switching of overhead lines, it is very easy to cause a transient oscillation accident in which a CVT participates, reduce the insulation level of a CVT, and even induce regional power grid oscillation and easily cause capacitor breakdown, after long-term operation with defects. In this paper, the whole power network, including the generator, power grid, and consumer, is modeled, and the theoretical model of the CVT ferro-resonance connected grid is built. The frequency spectrum analysis, and the measurements of resonance bus voltage and line voltage, were carried out to find the design method of a fast saturation damper (FSD) and its voltage–current characteristics that affect the vibration, based on theory and practice; this paper puts forward effective measures to reduce the resonance effect of a CVT in operation, and avoid the oscillation of the line and even the regional power grid system.