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The symmetrical segmentation of brain tumor images is crucial for both clinical diagnosis and computer-aided prognosis. Traditional manual methods are not only asymmetrical in terms of efficiency but also prone to errors and lengthy processing. A significant barrier to the process is the complex interplay between the deep learning network for MRI brain tumor imaging and the harmonious compound of both local and global feature information, which can throw off the balance in segmentation accuracy. Addressing this asymmetry becomes essential for precise diagnosis. In answer to this challenge, we introduce a balanced, end-to-end solution for brain tumor segmentation, incorporating modifications that mirror the U-Net architecture, ensuring a harmonious flow of information. Beginning with symmetric enhancement of the visual quality of MRI brain images, we then apply a symmetrical residual structure. By replacing the convolutional modules in both the encoder and decoder sections with deep residual modules, we establish a balance that counters the vanishing gradient problem commonly faced when the network depth increases. Following this, a symmetrical threefold attention block is integrated. This addition ensures a balanced fusion of local and global image features, fine-tuning the network to symmetrically discern and learn essential image characteristics. This harmonious integration remarkably amplifies the network's precision in segmenting MRI brain tumors. We further validate the equilibrium achieved by our proposed model using three brain tumor segmentation datasets and four metrics and by juxtaposing our model against 21 traditional and learning-based counterparts. The results confirm that our balanced approach significantly elevates performance in the segmentation of MRI brain tumor images without an asymmetrical increase in computational time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Images captured during rainy days present the challenge of maintaining a symmetrical balance between foreground elements (like rain streaks) and the background scenery. The interplay between these rain-obscured images is reminiscent of the principle of symmetry, where one element, the rain streak, overshadows or disrupts the visual quality of the entire image. The challenge lies not just in eradicating the rain streaks but in ensuring the background is symmetrically restored to its original clarity. Recently, numerous deraining algorithms that employ deep learning techniques have been proposed, demonstrating promising results. Yet, achieving a perfect symmetrical balance by effectively removing rain streaks from a diverse set of images, while also symmetrically restoring the background details, is a monumental task. To address this issue, we introduce an image-deraining algorithm that leverages multi-scale dilated residual recurrent networks. The algorithm begins by utilizing convolutional activation layers to symmetrically process both the foreground and background features. Then, to ensure the symmetrical dissemination of the characteristics of rain streaks and the background, it employs long short-term memory networks in conjunction with gated recurrent units across various stages. The algorithm then incorporates dilated residual blocks (DRB), composed of dilated convolutions with three distinct dilation factors. This integration expands the receptive field, facilitating the extraction of deep, multi-scale features of both the rain streaks and background information. Furthermore, considering the complex and diverse nature of rain streaks, a channel attention (CA) mechanism is incorporated to capture richer image features and enhance the model's performance. Ultimately, convolutional layers are employed to fuse the image features, resulting in a derained image. An evaluation encompassing seven benchmark datasets, assessed using five quality metrics against various conventional and modern algorithms, confirms the robustness and flexibility of our approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• We numerically show that an ultra-thin Weyl semimetal film can achieve an excellent performance of a high polarization extinction ratio (more than 40 dB) and a low insertion loss (less than 0.07 dB). • Monolayer polarizer shows that the optimum insertion loss is not achieved in the band with the highest PER. An isotropic substrate has little effect on the TM mode, while effectively adjusts the position of TE mode transmission peak. Thus, the proposed sandwich structure can further reduce insertion loss (from 0.06 dB to 0.03 dB) and obtain wider acceptances range of angle (from 49. 5 ∘ to 71 ∘). • Due to the high reflectivity of the two interfaces inside the WSM layer, the incident light is reflected several times in the single-layer structure, forming a structure similar to the Fabry-Perot cavity, which seriously affects the polarizer's performance. To overcome the challenges above, the proposed a gradient Fermi level structure eliminates the interference peak, thus resulting a wider bandwidth (approximately 60 % improvement). This method can be generalized to larger thickness cases. • With the increasing demand for on-chip integrated devices, our work can be helpful for the integration of a range of potential optical applications in optical communication and omnidirectional polarization detectors. Recently, Weyl semimetals have been extensively studied due to their unique optical responses, especially in the mid-infrared region. However, the possibility of developing optical polarizers based on Weyl semimetals remains unexplored. In this paper, under the Voigt geometry, we numerically show that an ultra-thin Weyl semimetal film with thickness L = 100 nm can achieve an impressive polarization extinction ratio (more than 40 dB) with a wide acceptance angle. Further, the proposed sandwich structure can effectively adjust the position of the TE mode transmission peak alone, thus obtaining lower insertion loss (from 0.06 dB to 0.03 dB) and wider acceptance range of angle (from 49. 5 ∘ to 71 ∘). The proposed gradient Fermi level structure eliminates the Fabry-Perot cavity resonance, thus resulting a wider bandwidth (approximately 60 % improvement). Our proposed ultra-thin and wide-angle polarizer may have potential applications in optical communication and omnidirectional polarization detectors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study is to explore the therapeutic effect and potential mechanisms of exosomal microRNAs (miRNAs) derived from the ovaries with primary ovarian insufficiency (POI). The POI mouse model was established by intraperitoneal injection of cyclophosphamide (CTX) and busulfan. The apoptosis of granulosa cells (GCs) incubated with exosomes extracted from ovarian tissues of control and POI groups was analyzed by flow cytometry. Then, high‐throughput sequencing was performed to detect the difference of miRNAs profile in ovarian tissue‐derived exosomes between the control and POI mice. The effect of differential miRNA on the apoptosis of CTX‐induced ovarian GCs was analyzed by flow cytometry. The results showed that POI mouse model was successfully established. Exosomes extracted from ovarian of normal and POI group have different effects on apoptosis of GCs induced by CTX. miRNA‐seq found that exosomal miR‐122‐5p in POI group increased significantly. miR‐122‐5p as the dominant miRNA targeting BCL9 was significantly upregulated in ovarian tissues of chemotherapy‐induced POI group. Exosomes derived from the ovaries in the control group and miR‐122‐5p inhibitor group attenuated the apoptosis of primary cultured ovarian GCs. In conclusion, exosomal miR‐122‐5p promoted the apoptosis of ovarian GCs by targeting BCL9, suggested that miR‐122‐5p may function as a potential target to restore ovarian function. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article titled "[Retracted] Clinical significance of miR-1298 in cervical cancer and its biological function in vitro" was published in Oncology Letters in 2021. However, it has since been retracted due to concerns raised by a reader. The reader pointed out that certain data in the article's figures were similar to data from other articles written by different authors that had already been published or were under consideration for publication around the same time. The authors were asked for an explanation but did not respond. The editor has apologized for any inconvenience caused. The authors of the retracted article are Haitao Zhang, Ruihong Zhang, Guiling Zhang, Wenjuan Liu, Zhaoyuan Ma, Caiyun Yue, and Min Yang. [Extracted from the article]

Dingkun Pill (DKP) is a traditional Chinese medicine that has been shown to have beneficial effects on reproductive function. However, the specific mechanism underlying its effect on POI is not well understood. To investigate the effect of different doses of Dingkun Pill on ovarian function in cyclophosphamide (CTX)-induced premature ovarian insufficiency (POI) mice and to explore its molecular mechanism through PTEN/PI3K/AKT/FOXO3a signaling pathway. This study will provide valuable insights into the potential clinical application of Dingkun Pill for the treatment of POI. Fifty female ICR mice were randomly divided into normal control (NC) group, model control (MC) group, and Dingkun Pill low, medium, high dose (DKP-L, M, H) groups. Mice were injected with CTX to construct the POI model. Mice in the DKP-L, M, and H groups were given 0.9 g/kg, 1.8 g/kg, and 3.6 g/kg of Dingkun Pill suspension for 21 days, respectively. Mice in the NC and MC groups were given the same amount of normal saline by gavage. Changes in body weight, estrous cycle and gonadal index were observed in each group of mice. Serum levels of FSH, LH, E2 and AMH were detected by ELISA. Hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining observed the changes of ovarian pathological morphology and follicle counts at all levels. qRT-PCR was used to measure the levels of the PTEN and FOXO3a genes in ovarian tissue. The expression of PTEN/PI3K/AKT/FOXO3a signaling pathway related proteins were detected by Western-blot and immunohistochemistry (IHC). In POI mice, Dingkun Pill increased body weight, promoted the recovery of estrous cycle, increased ovarian index, and improved pathological morphology of the ovaries. The FSH level decreased in the medium dose group (P < 0.05), the LH level reduced significantly in the medium and high dose groups (P < 0.01), and the E2 level in the high dose group increased (P < 0.05). There was no significant difference in AMH levels across all dose groups. The number of growing follicles improved at all levels in the low and medium dose groups, but declined significantly in the high dose group. However, the number of corpus luteum increased significantly in the high dose group (P < 0.001), and the atretic follicles in the three dose groups decreased. Results from qRT-PCR, Western-blot and IHC showed that the moderate dose of Dingkun Pill suppressed the levels of the p-PI3K and p-AKT proteins by upregulating the expression of PTEN in the ovarian tissues of POI mice, thereby inhibiting the expression of the key protein p-FOXO3a. However, the inhibitory effect of the higher dose may be less than that of the lower and intermediate dose groups. The Dingkun Pill modulated hormonal levels, promoted follicle growth and induced ovulation in mice with CTX-induced POI, with better results in the low and moderate dose groups. Its mechanism may be related to the regulation of the PTEN/PI3K/AKT/FOXO3a signaling pathway. [Display omitted] • Effect of Dingkun Pill on the estrous cycle of POI mice. • Effect of Dingkun Pill on serum sex hormone levels in POI mice. • Effect of Dingkun Pill on ovarian morphology and follicle count in POI mice. • Effect of Dingkun Pill on PTEN and FOXO3a gene expression levels in ovary tissue of POI mice. • Effect of Dingkun Pill on the expression of PTEN/PI3K/AKT/FOXO3a pathway using western-blot and immunohistochemical method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We, the Editor, Institution and Publisher of the journal IETE Journal of Research, have retracted the following article, which is part of the Special Issue titled "Federated Learning for Blockchain Systems and Industrial Internet of Things": Ruihong Zhang & Zhihua Hu (2022) Encryption Method for Blockchain based Data for Safe Transmission Using Fuzzy Algorithm, IETE Journal of Research, DOI: . Following publication, concerns were raised about the peer review and decision-making processes for this special issue. After an investigation by the Taylor & Francis Publishing Ethics & Integrity team, in full cooperation with the Editor-in-Chief and the Institution, it was confirmed that the articles included in this special issue were not reviewed appropriately, in line with the Journal's peer review standards and policy. As the stringency of the peer review process is core to the integrity of the publication process, the Editor and Publisher have decided to retract all of the articles within the above-named Special Issue. The journal has not confirmed if the authors were aware of this compromised peer review process. The journal is committed to correcting the scientific record and will fully cooperate with any institutional investigations into this matter. The authors have been informed of this decision. We have been informed in our decision-making by our editorial policies and the COPE guidelines. The retracted articles will remain online to maintain the scholarly record, but they will be digitally watermarked on each page as "Retracted". [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Commercial digesters handling complex waste and organic overloading often encounter unbalanced conditions or failures. With limited studies on the digester recovery from an industry-based waste stream, a complex and high-strength digestate containing up to 79 g COD l−1 from acidified commercial digester was investigated for biochar and alkaline treatments. The addition of biochar and calcium hydroxide successfully decomposed excessive volatile fatty acid up to 18.9 ± 2.5 g l−1 and resumed methane production. The maximum methane yield was obtained from the digester amended with biochar (373.4 ± 6.0 ml g COD−1), followed by calcium hydroxide (350.1 ± 2.5 ml g COD−1). Calcium hydroxide treatment showed a shorter lag phase than the biochar by 44%. Methane production could not be recovered by using sodium hydroxide or untreated digester. This study provides a strategic approach to justify the use of alkalis for restoring sour digesters from industry-based waste streams. • Alkali additives recovered sour digester with initial 79 gCOD l−1 and 19 gVFA l−1. • Sour digestate taken from upset commercial digester presented complex waste stream. • Biochar and calcium hydroxide successfully recovered methane production. • Key process parameters are crucial to justify suitable alkaline treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to improve the network security and get the real-time situation of network security, the access control method of network security authentication information based on fuzzy reasoning algorithm is proposed. Firstly, a scheme of multi-data source analysis and situational perception assessment is proposed based on the factors of network physical security and service security. At the same time, on the basis of multi-source data fusion, fuzzy reasoning algorithm is used to mine and identify the network attack relevance, so as to achieve the perception control of network security situation. Then based on security situation mining control, role classification is introduced to realize network access control. Finally, the access control flow is designed by combining the physical structure, logical structure and use case diagram of access control. The multi-level security concept and role inheritance are used to control access, and the administrator role is used to restrict some users' operation of transferring access rights. The experimental results show that the method has good security situation perception effect, excellent performance and reliability of network access control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA) is an emerging biodegradable plastic family that can replace a broad spectrum of conventional thermoplastics and is promising in the sustainable process development and valorization of organic waste. This study established a novel production system of PHA from food waste through halophilic microbial fermentation with spent medium recycling. The essential processing parameters for batch cultivation of Haloferax mediterranei were optimized for food waste substrate (a 40 g/L loading and 2.5 vvm of aeration), which achieved a yield of 0.3 g PHA/g COD consumed. A batch bioreactor system was developed, which produced 7.0 ± 0.7 g/L cell dry mass and 4.5 ± 0.2 g/L PHA with a 20% dissolved oxygen (DO) level. A DO above 50% saturation resulted in faster cell growth and similar cell mass production but 25% less PHA production. The spent saline medium, treated with H2O2 and rotary evaporation, was successfully reused for four consecutive batches and provided consistent PHA concentrations and product qualities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, many imaging systems have been developed to monitor the physiological and behavioral status of dairy cows. However, most of these systems do not have the ability to identify individual cows because the systems need to cooperate with radio frequency identification (RFID) to collect information about individual animals. The distance at which RFID can identify a target is limited, and matching the identified targets in a scenario of multitarget images is difficult. To solve the above problems, we constructed a cascaded method based on cascaded deep learning models, to detect and segment a cow collar ID tag in an image. First, EfficientDet-D4 was used to detect the ID tag area of the image, and then, YOLACT++ was used to segment the area of the tag to realize the accurate segmentation of the ID tag when the collar area accounts for a small proportion of the image. In total, 938 and 406 images of cows with collar ID tags, which were collected at Coldstream Research Dairy Farm, University of Kentucky, USA, in August 2016, were used to train and test the two models, respectively. The results showed that the average precision of the EfficientDet-D4 model reached 96.5% when the intersection over union (IoU) was set to 0.5, and the average precision of the YOLACT++ model reached 100% when the IoU was set to 0.75. The overall accuracy of the cascaded model was 96.5%, and the processing time of a single frame image was 1.92 s. The performance of the cascaded model proposed in this paper is better than that of the common instance segmentation models, and it is robust to changes in brightness, deformation, and interference around the tag. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

(1) Background: Studies on the association between air pollution and developmental delay in children are limited. Therefore, we evaluated the risk of developmental delay in Taiwanese children exposed to air pollution. (2) Methods: We merged the two nationwide databases, and the annual average pollutant concentrations were grouped into tertiles to evaluate the risk of developmental delay (ICD-9 code 315.9). We identified the patients' active residential locations based on the location of the clinic or hospital in which they sought treatment for acute upper respiratory infections (ICD 9 code 460). The two nationwide databases were linked for analysis based on the active residential locations of each participant and the locations of the 74 ambient air quality monitoring stations. (3) Results: We observed an increased risk of developmental delay in children and teenagers exposed to SO2, CO, and NO2. The adjusted odds ratios (ORs) of developmental delay for comparison among the tertiles with respect to SO2, CO, and NO2 exposures were 1.12 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.01–1.24), 1.21 (95% CI, 1.09–1.34), and 1.40 (95% CI, 1.261.55), respectively. (4) Conclusions: The present findings suggest that air pollution exposure increases the risk of developmental delay in children and teenagers in Taiwan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Photoperiod and temperature are two main factors in the growth of macroalgae, and changes in photoperiod and diurnal temperature difference exist in natural condition. In order to study the effects of photoperiod and diurnal temperature difference on the growth of green algae Ulva prolifera , we cultured this species under three light/dark cycles (light: dark = 10:14, 12:12 and 16:08) with constant (22 °C for light and dark period, noted as 22-22 °C) and diurnal temperature difference (22 °C and 16 °C for light and dark period, respectively, noted as 22-16 °C) conditions. The results showed that: 1) Compared with 10:14 light/dark cycle, the growth of U. prolifera under 12:12 light/dark cycle was significantly enhanced by 39% and 16% for 22-22 °C and 22-16 °C treatments, respectively, while the increase proportion decreased when the daylength increase from 12 h to 16 h. 2) The enhancement in growth induced by diurnal temperature difference was observed under 10:14 light/dark cycle, but not for 12:12 and 16:08 light/dark cycle treatments. 3) The Chl a content and photosynthetic rate increased under short light period and 22-22 °C conditions, while under 22-16 °C conditions, higher photosynthetic rate was observed under 12:12 light/dark cycle and no significant difference in Chl a content was observed. 4) Under 22-22 °C conditions, compared with 10:14 (L:D) treatment, the expression levels of proteins in light-harvesting complexes, PSII and carbon fixation were down regulated, while the photorespiration and pentose phosphate pathway (PPP) were up regulated by 16:08 light dark cycle. Then we speculate that the higher photosynthetic rate may be one compensation mechanism in short photoperiod, and under long light period condition the up regulations of photorespiration and PPP can be in charge of the decrease in enhancement growth induced by longer daylength. • The growth of U. prolifera was enhanced by diurnal temperature difference under short daylength, but not for long daylength. • With the increase of daylength, the growth of U. prolifera increased, but the proportion of this enhancement decreased. • The photosynthetic rate increased under short light period. • The photorespiration and pentose phosphate pathway (PPP) were up regulated by longer daylength. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractThis study aimed to establish a mechanical model for curved tempered vacuum glazing (CTVG) based on thin shells theory. By utilizing the windshield of a specific vehicle as a research object, the ANSYS mechanical simulation model for CTVG was developed. Additionally, CTVG samples were prepared and subjected to wind load performance testing. The simulation results demonstrated that the maximum support stress sustained by the CTVG reached 55.807 MPa, accompanied by a maximum glass deformation of 27.756 μm, both of which satisfied the safety requirements. Furthermore, the analysis of the mechanical model revealed that the maximum surface stress of the CTVG under wind load was directly proportional to the square of the wind speed. The CTVG was capable of withstanding a maximum wind pressure of 1.99 kPa and a maximum wind speed of 56.427 m·s−1, and would be safely deployed at a vehicle speed of 203 km·h−1. The wind load performance test results indicated that the observed trend in the maximum surface stress of the CTVG closely aligned with the theoretically predicted values, deviating within a range of 2.7 MPa. This correspondence signified the reliability and validation of our developed mechanical model. Consequently, this research served as a foundational reference for the advancement and utilization of CTVG products, which would play a beneficial role in reducing vehicle energy consumption when used as automotive window glass in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Preeclampsia (PE) is a disease specific to pregnancy that causes 9–10 % of maternal deaths. Early-onset PE (<34 weeks' gestation) is the most dangerous category of PE. Wnt7a and GPR124 (G protein-coupled receptor 124) are widely expressed in the human reproductive process. Especially during embryogenesis and tumorigenesis, Wnt7a plays a crucial role. However, few studies have examined the association between Wnt7a-GPR124 and early-onset PE. The aim of this study was to examine the significance of Wnt7a and GPR124 in early-onset PE as well as Wnt7a's role in trophoblast cells. Immunohistochemistry (IHC), real-time PCR, and western blotting (WB) were used to investigate Wnt7a and GPR124 expression in normal and early-onset PE placentas. Additionally, FACS, Transwell, and CCK-8 assays were used to diagnose Wnt7a involvement in migration, invasion, and proliferation. In the early-onset PE group, Wnt7a and GPR124 expression was significantly lower than in the normal group, especially in the area of syncytiotrophoblasts (STBs) and extravillous trophoblasts (EVTs). A negative correlation was found between Wnt7a RNA and GPR124 expression (r=−0.42, p<0.01). However, the Wnt7a RNA expression level was positive correlated with PE severity. In further cellular functional experiments, knockdown of Wnt7a inhibits HTR8/SVeno cells invasion and migration but has little effect on proliferation and apoptosis. Through the Wnt pathway, Wnt7a regulates trophoblast cell invasion and migration, and may contribute to early-onset preeclampsia pathogenesis. A molecular level study of Wnt7a will be needed to find downstream proteins and mechanisms of interaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prior to dispatch from manufacturing facilities, seeders require rigorous performance evaluations for their seeding capabilities. Conventional manual inspection methods are notably less efficient. This study introduces a wheat seeding detection approach anchored in an enhanced YOLOv5s image-processing technique. Building upon the YOLOv5s framework, we integrated four CBAM attention mechanism modules into its model. Furthermore, the traditional upsampling technique in the neck layer was superseded by the CARAFE upsampling method. The augmented model achieved an mAP of 97.14%, illustrating its ability to elevate both the recognition precision and processing speed for wheat seeds while ensuring that the model remains lightweight. Leveraging this advanced model, we can effectively count and locate seed images, enabling the precise calculation and assessment of sowing uniformity, accuracy, and dispersion. We established a sowing test bench and conducted experiments to validate our model. The results showed that after the model was improved, the average accuracy of wheat recognition was above 97.55% under different sowing rates and travel speeds. This indicates that this method has high precision for the total number of seed particles. The sowing rate and sowing travel speed were consistent with manual measurements and did not significantly affect uniformity, accuracy, or dispersion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to assess the feasibility of a novel weeding and fertilization scheme, namely, mechanical weeding plus a one-time deep application of a reduced amount of slow-release fertilizer for rice cultivation. The effects of the weeding and fertilization method on rice yield and quality were investigated using a split plot test as the research method. Two weeding methods, namely, chemical weeding (CW) and mechanical weeding (MW), and four fertilization methods were tested, including the conventional fertilization method (quantitative split broadcast application of fast-release N fertilizer (CK)), the quantitative split broadcast application of 80% fast-release N fertilizer (LCK), the one-time base application of slow-release fertilizer (SR), and the one-time deep application of 80% slow-release fertilizer (LSR). The results showed that the rice yield under MW with LSR treatment can maintain a high level—higher than 9.2 t ha−1 per year. This was attributed to the slow-release fertilizer and deep fertilization, which increased the number of stems and tillers in the pre-fertility and spike rate, respectively, resulting in a high panicle number with a 20% reduction of N fertilizer. Furthermore, mechanical weeding improved the seed-setting rate, resulting in a higher number of grains per panicle, a higher panicle number, and an increased thousand-grain weight, thereby maintaining a high yield. At the same time, the quality of rice under MW with LSR treatment improved, specifically reflected in the significant improvement of the processing and appearance quality of rice, a slight increase in protein content, and a reduction in the amylose content, thereby improving its nutritional quality while maintaining good cooking quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cow lameness is a complex locomotion behaviour, and effective characteristics are the key to identifying early lameness. Machine learning methods were used to quantify the movement of the hooves and head of cows, and they showed the possibility of using the head- and back-hoof linkage features extracted from motion analysis to classify early lameness. Firstly, the key points of the body in the side-view walking videos were tracked by DeepLabCut (DLC). Based on the curves of hoof movement and head swing, the head-hoof linkage pattern was analysed. Second, the curve of cow's back was extracted and the back-hoof linkage feature was built when the hoof touched the ground. At the same time, the movement curves were analysed to extract five other gait characteristics, including asymmetry of stride length, tracking up, asymmetry in the proportion of supporting phase, landing speed, and moving speed. Multiple models were trained on a dataset containing 212 videos, and 10-fold cross-validation was used to verify the performance of the algorithm. The classification performance was improved by optimising the model and algorithm. Overall accuracy and recall were 89.2% and 90.7%, respectively. The scores of the importance of features calculated by the Chi-square test showed that the head- and back-hoof linkage features play an important role in the classification of early lame cows. The hooves and their linkage features with the head and back of cows proposed in this paper can thus effectively detect early lameness in cows. • DeepLabCut was used to track four hooves and head of walking cow. • Head- and back-hoof linkage features was analysed. • Seven lameness indicators were used to build the model. • The recall of classification for early lame cows was 90.7%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

California is the leading dairy state in the United States. The total sale of milk and its products represents about $6.3 billion annually out of the $50 billion generated from all agricultural production in the state. However, methane emissions from dairy manure and enteric fermentation represented nearly half of all annual methane emissions in California, with dairy manure accounting for 25%, and enteric fermentation for 20%. Methane emissions originating from manure are produced primarily from anaerobic settling basins and lagoons, which are the most common manure storage systems in the state. To achieve sustainability on dairy farms and to comply with state regulations for air and climate pollutants, dairy farms have implemented technologies such as anaerobic digestion and alternative manure management technologies. In addition, governmental incentive programs have been deployed to partially fund these technologies for eligible dairies in the state. The present article reviews the design and operations, effectiveness, and economics of the most common technologies employed in Californian dairies in reducing methane emissions. The technologies studied include anaerobic digesters, mechanical separators, compost-bedded pack barns, manure vacuuming followed by drying, and weeping walls. The current status and estimated effectiveness of government incentive programs are reviewed and recommendations for improvements presented. Finally, future trends and research needs for mitigating the emissions in Californian dairies are identified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on the photonic topological transition (PTT), the transmission properties of a black phosphorus/aluminum oxide multilayered hyperbolic metamaterial (HMM) are theoretically investigated in the mid-infrared region. The results demonstrate that an angular transparency window appears near the transition point of PTT, which is achieved by tailoring the topology of the HMM's equi-frequency surface. The angular full width at half maximum of the transparency window is 2.34°, and the transmittance is higher than 99.8% at normal incidence. In addition, the operating wavelength can be flexibly tuned by adjusting the concentration of electrons. Besides, a layered cascade structure with a wide operating wavelength (1 µm) and an enhanced angular selectivity performance is proposed, which resolves the shortcoming of a single working wavelength. In addition, the spectral-selective behavior of absorption is also explained based on the PTT. These attractive properties make the black phosphorus-based HMM hold promise for potential applications in angularly selective systems and energy harvesting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study focuses on a wheeled mobile robot used for detection, weeding and information monitoring in agriculture. However, it is difficult to reach satisfactory motion mode switching (MMS) performance. This paper aimed at exploring the optimal control parameters guaranteeing smooth MMS of four-wheel steering. Single factor tests were first conducted using a test-bench. A binary quadratic general rotation combination test was designed to obtain the optimal parameters. An entropy weight method was introduced to construct the four indexes as a comprehensive index. The optimal combination of the parameters was obtained, based on the regression equation. The results showed that the two factors and their interaction had a significant impact on the comprehensive index (p < 0.05). The best combinations of the speed of the stepper motor and locking voltage were 56 r·min−1 and 3.96 V for 15° steering, 72 r·min−1 and 4.35 V for 30°, and 107 r·min−1 and 5.50 V for 45°, respectively. A verification test was performed using the prototype of the robot chassis. The results demonstrated that the MMS process was smooth and stable, and the proposed method was effective. This study is a beneficial exploration of the experimental method concerning wheeled robots. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The structural instability of metal oxides retards realizing high-performance and long lifespan supercapacitors. We prepare an electrochemical active heterostructure of NiCo layered double hydroxide (LDH) confined by carboxyl carbon nanotube (CNTCOOH). Through the electrostatic interactions between carboxyl groups (COO−) of CNTCOOH and metal cations of LDH under a simple hydrothermal treatment, the CNTCOOH confined NiCoLDH (CNTCOOH- c -NiCoLDH) can be easily fabricated. The CNTCOOH- c -NiCoLDH demonstrates the specific morphology of rope-fastened plates and shows ultrahigh cycled stability. In addition, the hydrophilic carboxyl groups on CNTCOOH also regulates the interfacial electronic coupling and electrolyte soaking, resulting in high rate capability. The charge-storage capacitance of CNTCOOH- c -NiCoLDH heterostructures reaches 2120.8 F/g at 1 A/g. The devices of CNTCOOH- c -NiCoLDH//AC show both high energy density (171.0 Wh/kg) and high power density (950.0 W/kg), and have ultrahigh capacity retention rate of 93.64 % after 50,000 charge and discharge cycles at a high current density of 5 A/g. This work supports an effective confinement idea and a facile method that can be applied on a large scale for the design and fabrication of super high stable metal oxide-based supercapacitors. [Display omitted] • Through the strengthened interactions between carboxyl of CNTCOOH and metal cations of LDH, CNTCOOH-c-NiCoLDH is prepared. • The specific capacitance of CNTCOOH-c-NiCoLDH flowers reaches 2120.8 F/g at a current density of 1 A/g. • CNTCOOH-c-NiCoLDH//AC shows high capacity retention rate of 93.64 % after 50000 cycles at 5 A/g. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study quantifies the financial and environmental impacts of a microalgal bioenergy system that attempts to maximize circular flows by recovering and reusing the carbon, nutrients, and water within the system. The system produces microalgal biomass using liquid digestate of an anaerobic digester that processes 45 metric tons of food waste and generates 28.6 m3 of permeate daily in California, and three energy production scenarios from the biomass are considered: producing biodiesel, electricity, and both. In all scenarios, the resulting energy products delivered only modest reductions in environmental impacts as measured by carbon dioxide equivalent emissions. The carbon intensities (CIs) of biodiesel from this study were 91.0 gCO 2 e/MJ and 93.3 gCO 2 e/MJ, which were lower than 94.71 gCO 2 e/MJ of conventional petroleum diesel, and the CI of electricity from this study was 70.6 gCO 2 e/MJ, lower than the average electricity grid CI in California (82.92 gCO 2 e/MJ). The economic analysis results show that generating electricity alone can be profitable, while biodiesel produced via this system is not cost competitive with conventional diesel due to high capital expenses. Thus, generating electricity in lieu of biodiesel appears to be a better option to maximize the use of waste flows and supply lower-carbon energy. [Display omitted] • Permeate from a digester had sufficient nutrients for microalgae cultivation. • Combining anaerobic digestion and microalgae limitedly reduced environmental impacts. • Electricity generation better than biodiesel financially and environmentally. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Leaf area index (LAI) is one of the indicators measuring the growth of rice in the field. LAI monitoring plays an important role in ensuring the stable increase of grain yield. In this study, the canopy reflectance spectrum of rice was obtained by ASD at the elongation, booting, heading and post-flowering stages of rice, and the correlations between the original reflectance (OR), first-derivative transformation (FD), reciprocal transformation (1/R), and logarithmic transformation (LOG) with LAI were analyzed. Characteristic bands of spectral data were then selected based on the successive projections algorithm (SPA) and Pearson correlation. Moreover, ridge regression (RR), partial least squares (PLS), and multivariate stepwise regression (MSR) were conducted to establish estimation models based on characteristic bands and vegetation indices. The research results showed that the correlation between canopy spectrum and LAI was significantly improved after FD transformation. Modeling using SPA to select FD characteristic bands performed better than using Pearson correlation. The optimal modeling combination was FD-SPA-VI-RR, with the coefficient of determination (R2) of 0.807 and the root-mean-square error (RMSE) of 0.794 for the training set, R2 of 0.878 and RMSE of 0.773 for the validation set 1, and R2 of 0.705 and RMSE of 1.026 for the validation set 2. The results indicated that the present model may predict the rice LAI accurately, meeting the requirements of large-scale statistical monitoring of rice growth indicators in the field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) (PHB), as a kind of bioplastics for sustainable development, can be synthesized by various microorganisms, however, the high cost of its microbial fermentation is a challenge for its large-scale application. In this study, piperazine degrading strain, Paracoccus sp. TOH, was developed as an excellent chassis for open PHB fermentation with piperazine as controlling element. Whole-genome analysis showed that TOH possesses multi-substrate metabolic pathways to synthesize PHB. Next, TOH could achieve a maximum PHB concentration of 2.42 g L−1, representing a yield of 0.36 g-PHB g−1-glycerol when C/N ratio was set as 60:1 with 10 g L−1 glycerol as substrate. Furthermore, TOH could even synthesize 0.39 g-PHB g−1-glycerol under non-sterile conditions when piperazine was fed with a suitable rate of 1 mg L−1 h−1. 16S rRNA gene sequencing analysis showed that microbial contamination could be effectively inhibited through the regulation of piperazine under non-sterile conditions and TOH dominated the microbial community with a relative abundance of 72.3% at the end of the operational period. This study offers an inspired open PHB fermentation system with piperazine as the control switch, which will realize the goal of efficient industrial biotechnology as well as industrial wastewater treatment. • Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) synthesis capability was identified in Paracoccus sp. TOH. • TOH could utilize various carbon sources for PHB biosynthesis. • A PHB yield of 0.36 g-PHB g−1-glycerol with PHB titer of 2.42 g L−1 were observed. • Piperazine acts as controlling element for the open PHB fermentation system. • Microbial contamination was effectively inhibited under non-sterile conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The association between exposure to air pollution and sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL) has not been extensively discussed in the literature. Therefore, we conducted this nationwide study to evaluate the risk of SSNHL in Taiwanese residents with exposure to air pollution.Methods: We enrolled subjects aged older than 20 years with no history of SSNHL from 1998 to 2010, and followed up until developing SSNHL, withdrawn from the National Health Insurance program, and the end of the database (2011/12/31). The air quality data are managed by Taiwan Environmental Protection Administration. The annual concentrations of PM2.5, SO2, CO, NO, and NO2 from 1998 to 2010 were classified into the three levels according to tertiles. We calculated the annual average of pollutants from baseline until the end of the study, and classified into tertiles. The adjusted hazard ratio (aHR) was estimated by using the multivariate Cox proportional hazard model.Results: When considered continuous air pollutants concentration, subjects who exposed with higher concentration of CO (aHR = 2.16, 95% CI 1.50-3.11), NO (aHR = 1.02, 95% CI 1.01-1.03), and NO2 (aHR = 1.02, 95% CI 1.01-1.04) developing significant higher risk of SSNHL. When classified air pollutants concentration into low, moderate and high level by tertiles, and selected low level as reference, patients exposed with moderate (aHR = 1.56, 95% CI 1.20-2.04) or high level (aHR = 1.33, 95% CI 1.01-1.75) of PM2.5 showed significant higher risk of developing SSNHL.Conclusion: This study indicated an increased risk of SSNHL in residents with long-term exposure to air pollution. Nevertheless, further experimental, and clinical studies are needed to validate the study findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

IRF8 is a key regulator of innate immunity receptor signaling and plays diverse functions in the development of hematopoietic cells. The effects of IRF8 on hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) are still unknown. Here, it is demonstrated that IRF8 deficiency results in a decreased number of long‐term HSCs (LT‐HSCs) in mice. However, the repopulation capacity of individual HSCs is significantly increased. Transcriptomic analysis shows that IFN‐γ and IFN‐α signaling is downregulated in IRF8‐deficient HSCs, while their response to proinflammatory cytokines is unchanged ex vivo. Further tests show that Irf8−/− HSCs can not respond to CpG, an agonist of Toll‐like receptor 9 (TLR9) in mice, while long‐term CpG stimulation increases wild‐type HSC abundance and decreases their bone marrow colony‐forming capacity. Mechanistically, as the primary producer of proinflammatory cytokines in response to CpG stimulation, dendritic cells has a blocked TLR9 signaling due to developmental defect in Irf8−/− mice. Macrophages remain functionally intact but severely reduce in Irf8−/− mice. In NK cells, IRF8 directly regulates the expression of Tlr9 and its deficiency leads to no increased IFNγ production upon CpG stimulation. These results indicate that IRF8 regulates HSCs, at least in part, through controlling TLR9 signaling in diverse innate immune cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Current rice planting operations are mainly transplanting and direct seeding. However, many operational procedures involving transplanting use poor quality of machinery resulting in high labour costs and low working efficiency. Here a no-tube seeding (NTS) method is proposed and the effects of technical parameters (travel speed, seeding wheel rotational speed and ground clearance) on the seeding quality (accuracy, dispersion and uniformity) are investigated using a single factor bench test. A multifactor bench test was carried out to optimise the technical parameters based on the requirements of different seeding rate. The optimal value of the travel speed was constant at 0.80 m s−1 at different seeding rates, the optimised range of seeding wheel rotational speed and ground clearance is 17.5–23.53 r min−1 and 81.2–85.6 mm, respectively. A field experimental comparison between NTS, traditional tube seeding (TTS) showed that the seeding quality of NTS was significantly better than that of TTS. Compared with transplanting, rice growth status at booting stage for NTS and TTS was not significantly different with rows closed. However, the number of panicles per unit area was greater which was beneficial to the formation of high yield. The maximum and average yield of NTS increased by 10.1% and 6.7% compared with TTS and compared with transplanting it maximum and average yield increased by 11.6% and 9.3% respectively. These results indicate that NTS is feasible and efficient method. • Lower ground clearance promotes higher seeding accuracy. • Higher ground clearance promotes greater seeding dispersion. • Higher seed wheel rotational speed promotes higher seeding uniformity. • Travel speed has limited effect on seeding quality. • The comprehensive benefit of NTS is better than that of TTS and transplanting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) are emerging contaminants causing serious global health concern. Interventions to address this concern include improving our understanding of methods for treating waste material of human and animal origin that are known to harbor ARGs. Anaerobic digestion is a commonly used process for treating dairy manure, and although effective in reducing ARGs, its mechanism of action is not clear. In this study, we used three ARGs to conducted a longitudinal bench scale anaerobic digestion experiment with various temperatures (28, 36, 44, and 52°C) in triplicate using fresh dairy manure for 30 days to evaluate the reduction of gene abundance. Three ARGs and two mobile genetic elements (MGEs) were studied: sulfonamide resistance gene (sulII), tetracycline resistance genes (tetW), macrolide-lincosamide-streptogramin B (MLSB) superfamily resistance genes (ermF), class 1 integrase gene (intI1), and transposase gene (tnpA). Genes were quantified by real-time quantitative PCR. Results show that the thermophilic anaerobic digestion (52°C) significantly reduced (p < 0.05) the absolute abundance of sulII (95%), intI1 (95%), tnpA (77%) and 16S rRNA gene (76%) after 30 days of digestion. A modified Collins–Selleck model was used to fit the decay curve, and results suggest that the gene reduction during the startup phase of anaerobic digestion (first 5 days) was faster than the later stage, and reductions in the first five days were more than 50% for most genes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

SARS-CoV-2 primary strain-based vaccination exerts a protective effect against Omicron variants-initiated infection, symptom occurrence, and disease severity in a booster-dependent manner. Yet, the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. During the 2022 Omicron outbreak in Shanghai, we enrolled 122 infected adults and 50 uninfected controls who had been unvaccinated or vaccinated with two or three doses of COVID-19 inactive vaccines and performed integrative analysis of 41-plex CyTOF, RNA-seq, and Olink on their peripheral blood samples. The frequencies of HLA-DRhi classical monocytes, non-classical monocytes, and Th1-like Tem tended to increase, whereas the frequency of Treg was reduced by booster vaccine, and they influenced symptom occurrence in a vaccine dose-dependent manner. Intercorrelation and mechanistic analysis suggested that the booster vaccination induced monocytic training, which would prime monocytic activation and maturation rather than differentiating into myeloid-derived suppressive cells upon Omicron infections. Overall, our study provides insights into how booster vaccination elaborates protective immunity across SARS-CoV-2 variants. [Display omitted] • Vaccination histories with inactivated virus influence Omicron-triggered immunity • Innate immunity and Th1 cells are primed by three doses of inactivated virus vaccine • Innate immunity or T cell activation state associates with asymptomatic infection • Monocytic training by inactive vaccine prepares host to cope with Omicron challenge Analysis of immune responses induced by inactivated virus vaccines against SARS-CoV-2, with and without Omicron variant infection, provides insight into the relative effects of single and double boosting for the large population that received this form of COVID-19 vaccine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Fertilizer distribution depends on the speed at the outlet of the mixing cavity. • Uneven dispersion of fertilizer granules due to directly falling from blade gaps. • Fertilizer mixed by double-blade has lower outlet speed than that of single-blade. • Mixing effect of multi-fertilizers by air blowing & double-blade stirring is best. In proportional variable-rate fertilization, improving the uniformity of multi-fertilizer mixing helps to improve the overall utilization efficiency of fertilizers. In this paper, a multi-fertilizer mixing by air blowing and blade stirring was presented. Using fertilizer granules mixing uniformity as an indicator, the method optimized the structures and working parameters of single-blade group stirring, double-blade group stirring and air blowing & double-blade stirring. EDEM and Fluent software were used for the simulation and the results were verified by experiments. The simulation results showed that the appropriate speed range of single-blade group stirring was 600 ∼ 900 r⋅min−1 and the highest mixing uniformity was achieved with the blade mounting angle α of 20°. The best structure of double-blade group stirring was achieved with an upper blade mounting angle β of 20°, a lower blade mounting angle θ of −20° and a spacing h of 89 mm. For the air blowing & double-blade stirring method, the best results were achieved when the input air velocity v a was 8.4 m⋅s−1 and the blade speed of agitator n b was 740 r⋅min−1. The mixing uniformity of nitrogen (N), phosphate (P) and potash (K) fertilizer granules reached 98.41%, 98.12% and 98.31%, respectively. The bench test results showed that the mixing uniformity by air blowing & double-blade stirring was better than that by double-blade group, and the mixing uniformity by double-blade group was better than that by single-bladed group, which were consistent with the simulation results. Meanwhile the differences between experimental values and simulation values were within 2%, which showed that the simulation models were reliable. Results from this study can be used as reference for the design of mixing devices of variable-rate fertilization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Hindquarter of cow's back in depth image was located. • 3D structure feature map of point clouds was constructed. • Two-step EfficientNet model was built for BCS. • 91.21% images were scored with the error less than 0.25. Body condition score (BCS) is an important indicator to evaluate the nutritional and health status of perinatal dairy cows. The insufficient accuracy of the automatic body condition score is the core bottleneck restricting the popularization and application of this technology. To further improve the accuracy of automatic scoring of cow body condition, a 3D structure feature map based on convex hull distance of point clouds was constructed and used as the input of a two-level model based on EfficientNet network, which realized the improvement of recognition accuracy within the error of 0.25 in the automatic scoring of cow body condition. First, the depth image of the cow's back was preprocessed to obtain the point cloud from the hook bone to the needle bone region containing the main body condition information. Second, the point cloud was voxelized and convex hulled, and the distance between each peripheral voxel and the nearest convex hull surface was calculated and projected to the X-Y plane to obtain the structural feature map. Then, a two-level classification model based on the EfficientNet network was constructed, and the whale optimization algorithm (WOA) was used to optimize the network scaling coefficient in the model. Finally, 5119 depth images of 77 cows were used to train and test the model, and the dataset ratio was 1:1. The results showed that when the BCS value was in the range of 2.25 to 3.75 and the two-class classification limit was 2.75, the proportions of images with recognition errors less than 0.25 and 0.50 were 91.21% and 97.60%, respectively, and the average recognition speed was 3.446 frames/s. The recognition effect was better than that of the MobileNet-V2, XceptionNet and LeNet-5 network models. This method could realize the noncontact assessment of individual body conditions of dairy cows in large-scale farms and had the characteristics of high accuracy, strong applicability and low cost. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, the safe sealing temperature range of tempered glass was determined to be no more than 300 °C by experiments. On this basis, the feasibility of silver oxide system low melting solder (SOSLMS) used in tempered vacuum glazing (TVG) sealing was explored by sealing strength experiment, scanning electron microscope (SEM), energy dispersive spectrometer (EDS), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and other test methods. The results of sealing strength experiment showed that the bonding strength of the sealing layer was inversely proportional to the sealing temperature. The bonding strength of the sealing layer in the range of 260 °C–290 °C met the standard requirements (not less than 0.6 MPa) except for the failure of the sample sealing at 300 °C. The observation results of SEM showed that when the sealing temperature was 260 °C and 270 °C, the solder layer had uniform fusion and dense structure, and the sealing layer was tightly bonded. With the increase of sealing temperature, the solder layer began to produce large holes, and there was obvious open gap between solder layer and glass substrate after stretching. The analysis results of EDS showed that the Ag and V elements all diffused into the glass at each sealing temperature, the difference of diffusion concentration and distribution was not significant. The analysis results of XRD showed that when the sealing temperature was in the range of 260 °C–270 °C, there was no crystallization phenomenon in the SOSLMS. When the sealing temperature was in the range of 280 °C–300 °C, Ag 2 VO 2 PO 4 crystals began to precipitate, and with the increase of temperature, the higher the crystallinity was, the greater the crystal content was. In conclusion, in the range of 260 °C–270 °C, the SOSLMS showed good sealing performance, which was suitable for TVG sealing. • A kind of silver oxide system low melting solder was considered to be suitable for tempered vacuum glazing sealing. • The optimal sealing temperature range of silver oxide system low melting solder was 260 °C–270 °C. • The bonding strength of the sealing layer was inversely proportional to the sealing temperature. • The precipitation of Ag 2 VO 2 PO 4 crystals was considered to be the fundamental reason of the reduction of bonding strength. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a prediction method of the heat transfer coefficient of composite vacuum glazing (CVG) is proposed. By analyzing the heat transfer process of CVG, the theoretical calculation formula for the heat transfer coefficient of CVG is established. CVG temperature variation under the test conditions specified in the national standard is simulated using ANSYS. The CVG heat transfer coefficient is calculated by combining the theoretical formula and simulation results. The simulation results are then verified by comparison to a physical experiment. The results show that the deviations between the experimental and predicted values are ≤3.8%, verifying the accuracy of the simulation results and proving that the model can be used in engineering practice. Furthermore, the effects of different coating positions on the heat transfer performance of CVG are studied. The results show that different coating positions have a significant impact on the heat transfer coefficient of CVG. The heat transfer coefficient is shown to be lowest to highest under the following conditions: when the Low-E coatings are located on both sides of the vacuum layer (2LC-V), followed by Low-E coatings on the side of glass pane II near the vacuum layer (1LC-V), Low-E coatings located on the side of glass pane I near insulating layer (1LC-I), and finally, when there are no Low-E coatings (NLC) on the glass panes. Overall, this model is an effective and accurate analysis method of the heat transfer coefficient. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Ultra-high S BET and porous structure enhance the performance of the biochar. • Surface-bound radicals and electron-transfer participate in BPA oxidation. • The system has a superior durability and strong resistance to real water matrixes. • DFT confirmed the pyrrolic N was beneficial for the decomposition of PDS. Nitrogen configurations doped in carbon matrix serve as the catalytically active sites for the metal-free activation of persulfates (peroxydisulfate PDS, and peroxymonosulfate PMS). Herein, a series of pyrrolic N-rich biochars (BDKx, where x represents the pyrolysis temperature) were facilely prepared by using waste bean dregs as the feedstocks. The resulted BDK900 possessed ultra-high specific surface area (S BET , > 3000 m2 g−1). Accordingly, it exhibited superior catalytic activity in PDS activation, as evidenced by the efficient removal of bisphenol A (BPA, 1358.4 mg g−1) with 0.05 g L−1 BDK900 and 5 mM PDS. Surface-bound radicals and electron-transfer mechanism were discovered to contribute to the BPA oxidation, during which BDK900 played vital roles in PDS activation, BPA accumulation, and regulating electron shuttle from BPA to PDS. Overall, this study sheds new light on the rational design of N-rich biochar and develops a low-cost technology toward remediation of BPA-contaminated wastewater. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]