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The problems of uneven load and low operating efficiency in the oil-gathering system of old oilfields lead to higher operating costs. In order to reduce operating costs, the layout-reconfiguration optimization model is established, and the minimum comprehensive investment is taken as the objective function. The multi-constraint conditions, such as the current situation of the oil-gathering system, the processing capacity, the possibility of pipeline failure, and the obstacles, are considered. The hybrid arithmetic–fireworks optimization algorithm (AFOA) is proposed to solve the model. Combined with the experience of the hybrid metaheuristic algorithm, using hybrid metaheuristics, the hybrid of the arithmetic optimization algorithm (AOA) and the operator of the fireworks algorithm (FWA) is considered, and some improved operators of FWA are integrated into AOA to form a new algorithm (AFOA) to achieve a better solution effect. Compared with the 11 other algorithms, AFOA has better solution efficiency. This method is applied to the actual case of an old oilfield. The optimized scheme increases the average load rate of the station by 15.9% and reduces the operating costs by 38.1% per year. Overall, the reconstruction costs will be recovered in a short period.

The switch machine, an essential element of railway infrastructure, is crucial in maintaining the safety of railway operations. Traditional methods for fault diagnosis are constrained by their dependence on extensive labeled datasets. Semi-supervised learning (SSL), although a promising solution to the scarcity of samples, faces challenges such as the imbalance of pseudo-labels and inadequate data representation. In response, this paper presents the Semi-Supervised Adaptive Matrix Machine (SAMM) model, designed for the fault diagnosis of switch machine. SAMM amalgamates semi-supervised learning with adaptive technologies, leveraging adaptive low-rank regularizer to discern the fundamental links between the rows and columns of matrix data and applying adaptive penalty items to correct imbalances across sample categories. This model methodically enlarges its labeled dataset using probabilistic outputs and semi-supervised, automatically adjusting parameters to accommodate diverse data distributions and structural nuances. The SAMM model's optimization process employs the alternating direction method of multipliers (ADMM) to identify solutions efficiently. Experimental evidence from a dataset containing current signals from switch machines indicates that SAMM outperforms existing baseline models, demonstrating its exceptional status diagnostic capabilities in situations where labeled samples are scarce. Consequently, SAMM offers an innovative and effective approach to semi-supervised classification tasks involving matrix data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Patients infected with Acinetobacter baumannii (AB) bacteremia in hospital have high morbidity and mortality. We analyzed the clinical characteristics of pneumonia and nonpneumonia-related AB bloodstream infections (AB BSIs) and explored the possible independent risk factors for the incidence and prognosis of pneumonia-related AB BSIs. Methods: A retrospective monocentric observational study was performed. All 117 episodes of hospital-acquired AB bacteremia sorted into groups of pneumonia-related AB BSIs (n = 45) and nonpneumonia-related AB BSIs (n = 72) were eligible. Univariate/multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to explore the independent risk factors. The primary outcome was the antibiotic susceptibility in vitro of pneumonia-related AB BSIs group. The secondary outcome was the independent risk factor for the pneumonia-related AB BSIs group. Results: Among 117 patients with AB BSIs, the pneumonia-related group had a greater risk of multidrug resistant A. baumannii (MDRAB) infection (84.44%) and carbapenem-resistant A. baumannii (CRAB) infection (80%). Polymyxin, minocycline and amikacin had relatively high susceptibility rates (> 80%) in the nonpneumonia-related group. However, in the pneumonia-related group, only polymyxin had a drug susceptibility rate of over 80%. Univariate analysis showed that survival time (day), CRAB, MDRAB, length of hospital stay prior to culture, length of ICU stay prior to culture, immunocompromised status, antibiotics used prior to culture (n > = 3 types), endotracheal tube, fiberoptic bronchoscopy, PITT, SOFA and invasive interventions (n > = 3 types) were associated with pneumonia-related AB bacteremia. The multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that recent surgery (within 1 mo) [P = 0.043; 0.306 (0.098–0.962)] and invasive interventions (n > = 3 types) [P = 0.021; 0.072 (0.008–0.671)] were independent risk factors related to pneumonia-related AB bacteremia. Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that length of ICU stay prior to culture [P = 0.009; 0.959 (0.930–0.990)] and recent surgery (within 1 mo) [P = 0.004; 0.260 (0.105–0.646)] were independent risk factors for mortality in patients with pneumonia-related AB bacteremia. The Kaplan‒Meier curve and the timing test showed that patients with pneumonia-related AB bacteremia had shorter survival time compared to those with nonpneumonia-related AB bacteremia. Conclusions: Our study found that A. baumannii had a high rate of antibiotic resistance in vitro in the pneumonia-related bacteremia group, and was only sensitive to polymyxin. Recent surgery was a significantly independent predictor in patients with pneumonia-related AB bacteremia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the research on the new generation of intelligent rail transit system, the prevention of train collision accidents is still a focus. Virtual coupling technology controls the running speed and interval distance of two or more trains cooperatively through Train-to-Train (T2T) direct communication technology. The aim is to form a coordinated logical system and jointly complete the train control and dispatching. In this paper, a virtual coupling train formation control method based on the model predictive control (MPC) framework is proposed. From the establishment of the virtual coupling system, the construction of an MPC model and decoupling method, how to integrate virtual coupling technology into the rail transit train collision protection is studied. The safety and reliability of the system are calculated through fault tree and the method of constructing reliability function. The research shows that if virtual coupling technology is used for train collision protection, the overall safety and reliability of the train control system is improved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective To compare the efficacy of ultrasound-guided femoral nerve block and oral celecoxib for preoperative analgesia in elderly patients with hip fractures. Methods Sixty-eight elderly patients with hip fracture surgery treated at the 908th Hospital of Joint Logistics Support Force from January 2019 to June 2022 were selected and randomly divided into two groups: the experimental group (femoral nerve block) and the control group (oral celecoxib), with 34 cases in each group. The experimental group received a 20 mL 0.3% ropivacaine for femoral nerve block under ultrasound guidance, while the control group was given celecoxib capsules (0.2 g, twice daily). Visual analog scores (VAS) were compared between the two groups at 10 minutes before intervention, 30 minutes after intervention, 2 hours after intervention, and 10 minutes before surgery. Complications such as nausea, vomiting, dizziness, and adverse drug reactions were also recorded. Results There was no significant difference in VAS scores between the two groups before intervention (P＞0.05). In the experimental group, VAS scores gradually decreased over time (P＜0.05). In the control group, VAS scores at each time point after intervention were lower than before intervention, with a higher score 10 minutes before surgery (3.85±1.11) compared to 2 hours after intervention (3.24±1.02). The experimental group had lower VAS scores at all time points after intervention compared to the control group (P＜0.05). The incidence of adverse reactions in the experimental group was lower than that in the control group(17.6% vs41.2%, χ2=4.53，P＜0.05）. Conclusion Both ultrasound-guided femoral nerve block and oral celecoxib can alleviate preoperative pain in elderly patients with hip fractures, but ultrasound-guided femoral nerve block is safer and can sustain pain relief.

Summary: In this study, we report on mosaic variegated aneuploidy (MVA) syndrome with tetraploidy and predisposition to infertility in a family. Sequencing analysis identified that the CEP192 biallelic variants (c.1912C>T, p.His638Tyr and c.5750A>G, p.Asn1917Ser) segregated with microcephaly, short stature, limb-extremity dysplasia, and reduced testicular size, while CEP192 monoallelic variants segregated with infertility and/or reduced testicular size in the family. In 1,264 unrelated patients, variant screening for CEP192 identified a same variant (c.5750A>G, p.Asn1917Ser) and other variants significantly associated with infertility. Two lines of Cep192 mice model that are equivalent to human variants were generated. Embryos with Cep192 biallelic variants arrested at E7 because of cell apoptosis mediated by MVA/tetraploidy cell acumination. Mice with heterozygous variants replicated the predisposition to male infertility. Mouse primary embryonic fibroblasts with Cep192 biallelic variants cultured in vitro showed abnormal morphology, mitotic arresting, and disruption of spindle formation. In patient epithelial cells with biallelic variants cultured in vitro, the number of cells arrested during the prophase increased because of the failure of spindle formation. Accordingly, we present mutant CEP192, which is a link for the MVA syndrome with tetraploidy and the predisposition to male infertility.

Exploring the responses of carbon component accumulation and allocation to arbuscular mycocorrhizal fungi (AM) and earthworm inoculation can provide reference for improving carbon sequestration potential and bioremediation efficiency in rocky desertification soils. In this study, we chose Fraxinus malacophylla as the host plant to inoculate with Funneliformis mosseae (FM), earthworm (E), and E+FM, using no earthworm and mycorrhizae addition as CK to examine the spatiotemporal variations in soil carbon components (i.e., total organic carbon, microbial biomass carbon, easily oxidized organic carbon, and recalcitrant organic carbon) and their allocation (i.e., microbial biomass carbon/total organic carbon, easily oxidized organic carbon/total organic carbon, and recalcitrant organic carbon/total organic carbon). The results showed that 1) The respective and interactive inoculation of E and AM significantly promoted the accumulation of each carbon component. In contrast with the control, the average carbon component levels under three inoculation treatments were ranked as E+FM>E>FM. The three inoculation treatments significantly promoted soil microbial carbon/total organic carbon (30.5%-68.5%) and easily oxidized carbon/total organic carbon (31.2%-39.2%), but decreased recalcitrant organic carbon/total organic carbon (2.9%-16.2%). 2) The spatiotemporal variation in accumulation and allocation of soil carbon components varied between the inoculation treatments. The maximum value of each carbon component occurred in June. The increase in each carbon component was significantly higher in E+FM (33.0%-122.1%) than that in E (31.2%-95.4%) and FM (9.2%-41.3%). The maximum value of microbial biomass carbon/total organic carbon and easily oxidized organic carbon/total organic carbon was observed in June, while that of recalcitrant organic carbon/total organic carbon was recorded in December. In contrast with CK, the amplitude of variation in the proportion of carbon components in total organic carbon under the three inoculation treatments was ranked as E+FM>E>FM. The accumulation and allocation of all carbon components decreased (9.7%-146.2%) along the soil profile. The level of carbon components in the E treatment decreased the smallest. The microbial biomass carbon/total organic carbon and easily oxidized carbon/total organic carbon decreased the least and the recalcitrant organic carbon/total organic carbon decreased the greatest under the E+FM treatment. 3) Changes in soil physicochemical properties under the three inoculation treatments significantly affected the accumulation and allocation of organic carbon components. Soil pH was negatively correlated with carbon component accumulation and allocation, whereas other soil variables were positively correlated with them. 4) The results of principal component analysis showed that soil water content, total nitrogen, and total phosphorus were the main factors driving carbon component accumulation, while soil water content, total phosphorus, and pH were the main factors controlling carbon component allocation. Therefore, we concluded that the earthworms, AM fungi and their interaction affected the accumulation and allocation of carbon components in Yunnan rocky desertification soils, which would primarily depend on the changes of soil water content, acid-base property, as well as nitrogen and phosphorus conditions.

Ant nests can affect the process and seasonal dynamics of forest soil methane emissions through mediating methane oxidation/reduction microorganisms and physicochemical environments. To explore the process and mechanism by which ant nests affect soil methane emissions from Hevea brasiliensis plantation in Xishuangbanna, we measured the seasonal dynamics of methane emissions from ant nest and non-nest soils by using static chamber-gas chromatography method, and analyzed the effect of ant nesting on the changes in functional microbial diversity, microhabitats, and soil nutrients in the plantations. The results showed that: 1) Ant nests significantly affected the mean annual soil methane emissions in tropical plantation. Methane emissions in ant nest were decreased by 59.9% than the non-nest soil. In the dry season, ant nest soil was a methane sink (-1.770 μg·m -2 ·h -1 ), which decreased by 87.2% compared with the non-nest soil, while it was a methane source (0.703 μg·m -2 ·h -1 ) that increased by 152.7% in the wet season. 2) Ant nesting affected methane emissions via changing soil temperature, humidity, carbon and nitrogen concentrations. In contrast to the control, the mean annual temperature, humidity, and carbon and nitrogen content increased by 4.9%-138.5% in ant nest soils, which explained 90.1%, 97.3%, 27.3%-90.0% of the variation in methane emissions, respectively. 3) Ant nesting affected the emission dynamics through changing the diversity and community structure of methane functional microbe. Compared with the control, the average annual methanogen diversity (Ace, Chao1, Shannon, and Simpson indices) in the ant nest ranged from -9.9% to 61.2%, which were higher than those (-8.7%-31.2%) of the methane-oxidising bacterial communities. The relative abundance fluctuations of methanogens and methanotrophic bacteria were 46.76% and -6.33%, respectively. The explaining rate of methanogen diversity to methane emissions (78.4%) was higher than that of oxidizing bacterial diversity (54.5%), the relative abundance explained by the dominant genus of methanogens was 68.9%. 4) The structural equation model showed that methanogen diversity, methanotroph diversity, and soil moisture were the main factors controlling methane emissions, contributing 95.6%, 95.0%, and 91.2% to the variations of emissions, respectively. The contribution (73.1%-87.7%) of soil temperature and carbon and nitrogen components to the emission dynamics was ranked the second. Our results suggest that ant nesting mediates the seasonal dynamics of soil methane emissions, primarily through changing the diversity of methane-function microorganisms and soil water conditions. The research results deepen the understanding of the mechanism of biological regulation of methane emission in tropical forest soil.

Exploring the effects of ant nests on soil CH 4 emissions in the secondary tropical forests is of great scientific significance to understand the contribution of soil faunal activities to greenhouse gas emissions. With static chamber-gas chromatography method, we measured the dry-wet seasonal dynamics of CH 4 emissions from ant nests and control soils in the secondary forest of Syzygium oblatum communities in Xishuangbanna. We also examined the linkages of ant-mediated changes in functional microbial diversity and soil physicochemical properties with CH 4 emissions. The results showed that: 1) Ant nests significantly accelerated soil CH 4 emissions, with average CH 4 emissions in the ant nests being 2.6-fold of that in the control soils. 2) The CH 4 emissions had significant dry-wet seasonal variations, which was a carbon sink in the dry seasons (from -0.29±0.03 to -0.53±0.02 μg·m -2 ·h -1 ) and a carbon source in the wet seasons (from 0.098±0.02 to 0.041±0.009 μg·m -2 ·h -1 ). The CH 4 emissions were significantly higher in ant nests than in control soils. The CH 4 emissions from the ant nests had smaller dry-wet seasonal variation (from -0.38±0.01 to 0.12±0.02 μg·m -2 ·h -1 ) than those in the control soils (from -0.65±0.04 to 0.058±0.006 μg·m -2 ·h -1 ). 3) Ant nests significantly increased the values (6.2%-37.8%) of soil methanogen diversity ( i.e ., Ace and Shannon indices), temperature and humidity, carbon pools ( i.e ., total, easily oxidizable, and microbial carbon), and nitrogen pools ( i.e ., total, hydrolyzed, ammonium, and microbial biomass nitrogen), but decreased the diversity ( i.e ., Ace and Chao1 indices) of methane-oxidizing bacteria by 21.9%-23.8%. 4) Results of the structural equation modeling showed that CH 4 emissions were promoted by soil methanogen diversity, temperature and humidity, and C and N pools, but inhibited by soil methane-oxidizing bacterial diversity. The explained extents of soil temperature, humidity, carbon pool, nitrogen pool, methanogen diversity, and methane-oxidizing bacterial diversity for the CH 4 emission changes were 6.9%, 21.6%, 18.4%, 15.2%, 14.0%, and 10.8%, respectively. Therefore, ant nests regulated soil CH 4 emission dynamics through altering soil functional bacterial diversities, micro-habitat, and carbon and nitrogen pools in the secondary tropical forests.

The conventional therapeutic treatment of triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is negatively influenced by the development of tumor cell drug resistant, and systemic toxicity of therapeutic agents due to off-target activity. In accordance with research findings, nanoparticles (NPs) responsive to the tumor microenvironment (TME) have been discovered for providing opportunities to selectively target tumor cells via active targeting or Enhanced Permeability and Retention (EPR) effect. The combination of the TME control and therapeutic NPs offers promising solutions for improving the prognosis of the TNBC because the TME actively participates in tumor growth, metastasis, and drug resistance. The NP-based systems leverage stimulus-responsive mechanisms, such as low pH value, hypoxic, excessive secretion enzyme, concentration of glutathione (GSH)/reactive oxygen species (ROS), and high concentration of Adenosine triphosphate (ATP) to combat TNBC progression. Concurrently, NP-based stimulus-responsive introduces a novel approach for drug dosage design, administration, and modification of the pharmacokinetics of conventional chemotherapy and immunotherapy drugs. This review provides a comprehensive examination of the strengths, limitations, applications, perspectives, and future expectations of both novel and traditional stimulus-responsive NP-based drug delivery systems for improving outcomes in the medical practice of TNBC. This article is categorized under: Therapeutic Approaches and Drug Discovery > Emerging Technologies Nanotechnology Approaches to Biology > Nanoscale Systems in Biology Therapeutic Approaches and Drug Discovery > Nanomedicine for Oncologic Disease., (© 2024 Wiley Periodicals LLC.)