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BackgroundThe available data exhibit inconsistent findings regarding the association between obesity and sleep problems among older adults. The objective of this study was to assess the potential association between obesity and sleep disorders in the older population.MethodsThe data utilised in this cross-sectional investigation was obtained from the National Health and Nutritional Examination Survey (NHANES) conducted between 2005 and 2018. The study employed a multivariate logistic regression model and conducted subgroup analysis to evaluate the association between obesity and sleep disturbance.ResultsThe investigation consisted of 2,570 older people who provided complete information, out of which 324 individuals satisfied the criteria for sleep disturbance. The findings from the multivariable adjusted logistic regression model indicate that individuals in the overweight and normal weight groups exhibited decreased odds of experiencing sleep disorder, as evidenced by the adjusted odds ratios (AOR) of 0.46 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.34–0.61) and 0.33 (95% CI = 0.22–0.47), respectively. These results were statistically significant (p

To investigate the coupled damage mechanism of blunt impact and bullets penetration after penetrating ballistic plates against human body targets, experiments were conducted using 6.8 mm caliber armor-piercing bullets against gelatin targets with protective coatings. A numerical analysis model was developed to simulate bullet penetration into gelatin with protective coatings, obtaining endpoint characteristic quantities such as bullet velocity changes, changes in energy distribution, pressure, stress, and stress wave variations within the gelatin target after protection. The results indicate that at a velocity of 640 m·s-1, the 6.8 mm caliber armor-piercing round failed to penetrate the ballistic plate yet still caused a blunt impact depression of 37 mm in depth. Under conditions where the bullet did not penetrate the ballistic plate, approximately 80% of the bullet's kinetic energy was absorbed by the ballistic plate. At a velocity of 740 m·s-1, the bullet penetrated the ballistic plate, resulting in a blunt impact depression depth of 56 mm and an instantaneous cavity with a maximum diameter of 60 mm. During the process of penetrating the ballistic plate, approximately 50% of the bullet's kinetic energy was absorbed by the ballistic plate, and about 40% of the remaining kinetic energy transferred into the gelatin during the penetration of the target.

Despite a plethora of studies on how to teach critical thinking (CT) in different subject classrooms, there is limited research on how teachers foster their CT and learn to teach CT through pre-service teacher education. Such a gap gives impetus to the present study, which seeks to examine to what extent and how a group of student teachers are prepared to become CT-oriented teachers in a Hong Kong-based pre-service language teacher education programme. Adopting a qualitative research approach and informed by a tripartite conceptual framework (i.e. coverage, coherence, and applicability), the study explored student teachers' perceptions and experiences via in-depth interviews and relevant documents, supplemented by data gathered from language teacher educators in the programme. The findings reveal a rich yet unbalanced coverage of CT instruction, the transferability of CT learning to its teaching, as well as the rhetoric-reality gap in developing CT-related pedagogy in the programme. In light of the findings, practical implications at classroom and curricula levels are drawn to facilitate the integration of CT into teacher education programmes.

Given the status of English as a lingual franca and the ongoing trend of internationalization of higher education, English medium instruction (EMI) has become increasingly popular in many EFL university settings. However, taking up EMI teaching can be an emotionally complex and daunting task for disciplinary teachers. Informed by a post-structuralist perspective, this Forum paper argues for the need to embrace an emotional focus in current EMI teacher education. Based on the critical analysis of a Chinese case, the paper presents and analyzes the complexity of EMI teacher emotions entangled with different power relations and rules in university contexts. The paper culminates in a critical discussion on how to foster and promote EMI teachers' emotional awareness and intelligence with a view to facilitating their ongoing classroom practice and professional development.

Abstract Wireless internet-of-things (WIoT) with data acquisition sensors are evolving rapidly and the demand for transmission efficiency is growing rapidly. Frequency converter that synthesizes signals at different frequencies and mixes them with sensor datastreams is a key component for efficient wireless transmission. However, existing frequency converters employ separate synthesize and mix circuits with complex digital and analog circuits using complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) devices, naturally incurring excessive latency and energy consumption. Here we report a highly uniform and calibratable VO2 memristor oscillator, based on which we build memristor-based frequency converter using 8 $$\times$$ × 8 VO2 array that can realize in-situ frequency synthesize and mix with help of compact periphery circuits. We investigate the self-oscillation based on negative differential resistance of VO2 memristors and the programmability with different driving currents and calibration resistances, demonstrating capabilities of such frequency converter for in-situ frequency synthesize and mix for 2 ~ 8 channels with frequencies up to 48 kHz for low frequency transmission link. When transmitting classical sensor data (acoustic, vision and spatial) in an end-to-end WIoT experimental setup, our VO2-based memristive frequency converter presents up to 1.45× ~ 1.94× power enhancement with only 0.02 ~ 0.21 dB performance degradations compared with conventional CMOS-based frequency converter. This work highlights the potential in solving frequency converter’s speed and energy efficiency problems in WIoT using high crystalline quality epitaxially grown VO2 and calibratable VO2-based oscillator array, revealing a promising direction for next-generation WIoT system design.

Abstract Conventional circuit elements are constrained by limitations in area and power efficiency at processing physical signals. Recently, researchers have delved into high-order dynamics and coupled oscillation dynamics utilizing Mott devices, revealing potent nonlinear computing capabilities. However, the intricate yet manageable population dynamics of multiple artificial sensory neurons with spatiotemporal coupling remain unexplored. Here, we present an experimental hardware demonstration featuring a capacitance-coupled VO2 phase-change oscillatory network. This network serves as a continuous-time dynamic system for sensory pre-processing and encodes information in phase differences. Besides, a decision-making module for special post-processing through software simulation is designed to complete a bio-inspired dynamic sensory system. Our experiments provide compelling evidence that this transistor-free coupling network excels in sensory processing tasks such as touch recognition and gesture recognition, achieving significant advantages of fewer devices and lower energy-delay-product compared to conventional methods. This work paves the way towards an efficient and compact neuromorphic sensory system based on nano-scale nonlinear dynamics.

Abstract Background The management of small gastric submucosal tumors (SMTs) originating from the muscularis propria layer (SMT-MPs) remains a subject of debate. Endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) is currently considered the optimal treatment for resection. However, high expenses, complex procedures, and the risk of complications have limited its application. Our previously proposed novel operation, precutting endoscopic band ligation (precutting EBL), has been demonstrated in a long-term, single-arm study to be an effective and safe technique for removing small gastric SMTs. However, the absence of a pathological examination and the potential for delayed perforation have raised concerns. Thus, we modified the precutting EBL by adding endoscopic resection to the snare after ligation and closure, yielding the precutting endoscopic band ligation-assisted resection (precutting EBLR). Moreover, the initial pilot study confirmed the safety and efficacy of the proposed approach and we planned a randomized controlled trial (RCT) to further validate its clinical feasibility. Methods This was a prospective, single-center, open-label, parallel group, and randomized controlled trial. Approximately 40 patients with SMT-MPs will be included in this trial. The patients included were allocated to two groups: ESD and precutting EBLR. The basic clinical data of the patients were collected in detail. To better quantify the difference between ESD and precutting EBLR, the primary outcome was set as the operation duration. The secondary outcomes included total operation cost and hospitalization, intraoperative adverse events, and postoperative recurrence. The primary outcome was tested for superiority, while the secondary outcomes were tested for noninferiority. SPSS is commonly used for statistical analysis. Discussion This study was designed to validate the feasibility of a novel operation for removing gastric SMT-MPs. To intuitively assess this phenomenon, the operation durations of precutting EBLR and ESD were compared, and other outcomes were also recorded comprehensively. Trial registration Chinese Clinical Trial Registry ChiCTR2200065473 . Registered on November 5, 2022.

Objectives: The aim of this analysis was to investigate the historical development, current status, and research hot spots related to maxillary protraction in the treatment of maxillary hypoplasia. Methods: The term “TS = maxillary protraction” was used to search for articles in the Web of Science Core Collection at the library of Capital Medical University. The results were analysed using CiteSpace6.2.R1 software, including the examination of annual publication trends and analysis of author, country, institution, and keywords. Results: A total of 483 papers were included in this study. The annual publications showed an overall increasing trend. The top 5 authors with the most published papers were Lorenzo Franchi, Tiziano Baccetti, Seung-Hak Baek, Paola Cozza, and U Hagg. The top 5 countries with the highest publication counts were the US, Turkey, South Korea, Italy, and China. The top 5 institutions in terms of the number of published papers were the University of Florence, the University of Michigan, Kyung Hee University, Seoul National University, and Gazi University. The top 3 journals with the most citations were the American Journal of Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics, Angle Orthodontist, and the European Journal of Orthodontics. Furthermore, “Maxillary protraction,” “Class III malocclusion,” and “Maxillary expansion” were the most common keywords. Conclusions: The effective age range for maxillary protraction has been expanded with the introduction of skeletal anchorage and the combination of maxillary expansion and protraction. Skeletal anchorage offers significant advantages over dental anchorage, but there is a need for further research to further substantiate its stability and safety. In recent years, the positive effects of maxillary protraction on the nasopharyngeal area have been well established, but its impact on the oropharyngeal area remains a topic of debate. Therefore, it is crucial to conduct further investigations into the effects of maxillary protraction on the oropharyngeal area and explore the factors that influence different outcomes.

Abstract In 2021, breast cancer accounted for a substantial proportion of cancer cases and represented the second leading cause of cancer deaths among women worldwide. Although tumor cells originate from normal cells in the human body, they possess distinct biological characteristics resulting from changes in gene structure and function of cancer cells in contrast with normal cells. These distinguishing features, known as hallmarks of cancer cells, differ from those of normal cells. The hallmarks primarily include high metabolic activity, mitochondrial dysfunction, and resistance to cell death. Current evidence suggests that the fundamental hallmarks of tumor cells affect the tissue structure, function, and metabolism of tumor cells and their internal and external environment. Therefore, these fundamental hallmarks of tumor cells enable tumor cells to proliferate, invade and avoid apoptosis. Modifying these hallmarks of tumor cells represents a new and potentially promising approach to tumor treatment. The key to breast cancer treatment lies in identifying the optimal therapeutic agent with minimal toxicity to normal cells, considering the specific types of tumor cells in patients. Some herbal medicines contain active ingredients which can precisely achieve this purpose. In this review, we introduce Ginsenoside's mechanism and research significance in achieving the therapeutic effect of breast cancer by changing the functional hallmarks of tumor cells, providing a new perspective for the potential application of Ginsenoside as a therapeutic drug for breast cancer.

Abstract Background The continuously developing pesticide resistance is a great threat to agriculture and human health. Understanding the mechanisms of insecticide resistance is a key step in dealing with the phenomenon. Insect cuticle is recently documented to delay xenobiotic penetration which breaks the previous stereotype that cuticle is useless in insecticide resistance, while the underlying mechanism remains scarce. Results Here, we find the integument contributes over 40.0% to insecticide resistance via different insecticide delivery strategies in oriental fruit fly. A negative relationship exists between cuticle thickening and insecticide penetration in resistant/susceptible, also in field strains of oriental fruit fly which is a reason for integument-mediated resistance. Our investigations uncover a regulator of insecticide penetration that miR-994 mimic treatment causes cuticle thinning and increases susceptibility to malathion, whereas miR-994 inhibitor results in opposite phenotypes. The target of miR-994 is a most abundant cuticle protein (CPCFC) in resistant/susceptible integument expression profile, which possesses capability of chitin-binding and influences the cuticle thickness-mediated insecticide penetration. Our analyses find an upstream transcriptional regulatory signal of miR-994 cascade, long noncoding RNA (lnc19419), that indirectly upregulates CPCFC in cuticle of the resistant strain by sponging miR-994. Thus, we elucidate the mechanism of cuticular competing endogenous RNAs for regulating insecticide penetration and demonstrate it also exists in field strain of oriental fruit fly. Conclusions We unveil a regulatory axis of lnc19419 ~ miR-994 ~ CPCFC on the cuticle thickness that leads to insecticide penetration resistance. These findings indicate that competing endogenous RNAs regulate insecticide resistance by modulating the cuticle thickness and provide insight into the resistance mechanism in insects.

Recently, planetary gearboxes have been widely used in helicopters, heavy trucks, ships, and other large and complex mechanical equipment because of their smooth transmission characteristics, small volume, and large reduction ratio. The planetary bearing, which plays a supporting role in the planetary gearbox, usually works in a worse environment but suffers from low speed and heavy load for a long time. Additionally, because of the strong noise generated by the interaction between gears during the operation of the planetary gearbox, the fault characteristics of planetary bearings are completely submerged in the background noise and are difficult to extract, which complicates classifying planetary-bearing faults accurately. Therefore, to effectively remove noise information from planetary-bearing signals, accurately extract fault information, and classify the fault types of planetary bearings, an adaptive dynamic mode decomposition (ADMD) and genetic algorithm and support vector machine (GA-SVM) with application to the fault classification of planetary bearing is proposed in this paper. The hard threshold selection of the traditional truncated rank cannot effectively process the time-domain vibration signals using the dynamic mode decomposition (DMD) method. Hence, this paper proposes improved grasshopper optimization algorithm (IGOA) to optimize the grasshopper optimization algorithm (GOA) by using dynamic weight and avoid the linear gradient mechanism, which cannot fully use the entire iterative process. Furthermore, IGOA can perform a global search to achieve the adaptive optimal parameter selection of the truncated rank. Besides, a new fitness function is defined that can effectively process the original time-domain signals. The traditional refined composite multiscale discrete entropy (RCMDE) is relatively dispersed, and it cannot characterize the features hidden in the signal better. Therefore, we normalize the RCMDE, forming the improved refined composite multiscale discrete entropy (IRCMDE). Then, the IRCMDE is calculated for the denoised signal, and a feature matrix is constructed to better mine the hidden features in the signal. Finally, GA is used to optimize the key parameters C and g of the SVM. The GA-SVM classification model is also constructed and applied to the bearing fault classification of the planetary gearbox, which can avoid the overfitting phenomenon in the training process and provide better generalization performance. Taking the planetary-bearing fault data in the planetary gearbox of Nanchang Hangkong University as the research object, the validity and practicability of the proposed method are verified, and the final classification result of the inner ring fault, outer ring fault, rolling body fault, and normal condition is 96.43%. In addition, this method can more accurately identify the fault types of planetary bearings and has better generalization ability than the empirical mode decomposition (EMD) signal processing method and the convolutional neural network (CNN) classification method.

Recent exploration has revealed that the Middle Triassic Leikoupo Formation 32 Submember (T2l32) in the Sichuan Basin contains unconventional marl reservoirs with significant natural gas potential. Due to limited cores, old wells, and conventional logs, however, the lithological understanding of T2l32 is incomplete and relies solely on inaccurate mud logs. This lack of lithological foundation challenges geology and petroleum research. To identify complex lithology, this paper presents a double-hierarchical workflow to identify seven types of lithology using logs. The first order distinguishes salt, anhydrite, and marl, while the second order further subdivides marl into anhydrite marl, argillaceous limestone, shaly limestone, and limy shale. Different rocks’ logging response characteristics are summarized based on quantity-limited cores and micro-resistivity imaging logs. Lithological identification of 2D and 3D plots is established using sensitive GR, DEN, and RT. Corresponding identification standards are built in two hierarchies. According to these standards, the lithology of T2l32 is identified in a total of 119 wells. Finally, the lithological characteristics of vertical, horizontal, and plane are discussed in the research area. The research results may aid in comprehending the entire lithological characteristics of the complex marl reservoir in T2l32 of the Sichuan Basin. It would help the exploration potential of petroleum systems in turn.

BackgroundIn recent epochs, the field of critical medicine has experienced significant advancements due to the integration of artificial intelligence (AI). Specifically, AI robots have evolved from theoretical concepts to being actively implemented in clinical trials and applications. The intensive care unit (ICU), known for its reliance on a vast amount of medical information, presents a promising avenue for the deployment of robotic AI, anticipated to bring substantial improvements to patient care. ObjectiveThis review aims to comprehensively summarize the current state of AI robots in the field of critical care by searching for previous studies, developments, and applications of AI robots related to ICU wards. In addition, it seeks to address the ethical challenges arising from their use, including concerns related to safety, patient privacy, responsibility delineation, and cost-benefit analysis. MethodsFollowing the scoping review framework proposed by Arksey and O’Malley and the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) guidelines, we conducted a scoping review to delineate the breadth of research in this field of AI robots in ICU and reported the findings. The literature search was carried out on May 1, 2023, across 3 databases: PubMed, Embase, and the IEEE Xplore Digital Library. Eligible publications were initially screened based on their titles and abstracts. Publications that passed the preliminary screening underwent a comprehensive review. Various research characteristics were extracted, summarized, and analyzed from the final publications. ResultsOf the 5908 publications screened, 77 (1.3%) underwent a full review. These studies collectively spanned 21 ICU robotics projects, encompassing their system development and testing, clinical trials, and approval processes. Upon an expert-reviewed classification framework, these were categorized into 5 main types: therapeutic assistance robots, nursing assistance robots, rehabilitation assistance robots, telepresence robots, and logistics and disinfection robots. Most of these are already widely deployed and commercialized in ICUs, although a select few remain under testing. All robotic systems and tools are engineered to deliver more personalized, convenient, and intelligent medical services to patients in the ICU, concurrently aiming to reduce the substantial workload on ICU medical staff and promote therapeutic and care procedures. This review further explored the prevailing challenges, particularly focusing on ethical and safety concerns, proposing viable solutions or methodologies, and illustrating the prospective capabilities and potential of AI-driven robotic technologies in the ICU environment. Ultimately, we foresee a pivotal role for robots in a future scenario of a fully automated continuum from admission to discharge within the ICU. ConclusionsThis review highlights the potential of AI robots to transform ICU care by improving patient treatment, support, and rehabilitation processes. However, it also recognizes the ethical complexities and operational challenges that come with their implementation, offering possible solutions for future development and optimization.

BackgroundSystemic inflammation and glucose metabolism have been closely related to the survival of cancer patients. Therefore, we aimed to evaluate whether preoperative glucose-to-lymphocyte ratio (GLR) can be used to predict the survival of cancer patients.MethodsWe retrospectively examined 2172 cancer patients who underwent surgery from January 1, 2014, to December 31, 2016. There were 240 patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), 378 patients with colorectal cancer (CRC), 221 patients with breast cancer (BC), 335 patients with gastric cancer (GC), 270 patients with liver cancer, 233 patients with esophageal cancer (EC), 295 patients with renal cancer, and 200 patients with melanoma. The formula for preoperative GLR calculation was as follows: GLR=glucose/lymphocyte count. The overall survival (OS) was estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method. The predictive factors for OS were determined using multivariate analysis.ResultsThe Kaplan-Meier analysis showed that the median survival time in the high-GLR group was much shorter than that of those in the low-GLR group for different cancers. Cox multivariate regression analysis reveals that preoperative GLR was an independent factor for predicting overall survival in different tumor types.ConclusionElevated preoperative GLR was remarkably associated with a poorer prognosis in patients with NSCLC, CRC, breast cancer, gastric cancer, kidney cancer, liver cancer, esophageal cancer, and melanoma. Preoperative GLR promises to be an essential predictor of survival for cancer patients.

Abstract Conventional residential electricity consumers are becoming prosumers who not only consume electricity but also produce it. This shift is expected to occur over the next few decades at a large scale, and it presents numerous uncertainties and risks for the operation, planning, investment, and viable business models of the electricity grid. To prepare for this shift, researchers, utilities, policymakers, and emerging businesses require a comprehensive understanding of future prosumers’ electricity consumption. Unfortunately, there is a limited amount of data available due to privacy concerns and the slow adoption of new technologies such as battery electric vehicles and home automation. To address this issue, this paper introduces a synthetic dataset containing five types of residential prosumers’ imported and exported electricity data. The dataset was developed using real traditional consumers’ data from Denmark, PV generation data from the global solar energy estimator (GSEE) model, electric vehicle (EV) charging data generated using emobpy package, a residential energy storage system (ESS) operator and a generative adversarial network (GAN) based model to produce synthetic data. The quality of the dataset was assessed and validated through qualitative inspection and three methods: empirical statistics, metrics based on information theory, and evaluation metrics based on machine learning techniques.

Abstract Physiological signal processing plays a key role in next-generation human-machine interfaces as physiological signals provide rich cognition- and health-related information. However, the explosion of physiological signal data presents challenges for traditional systems. Here, we propose a highly efficient neuromorphic physiological signal processing system based on VO2 memristors. The volatile and positive/negative symmetric threshold switching characteristics of VO2 memristors are leveraged to construct a sparse-spiking yet high-fidelity asynchronous spike encoder for physiological signals. Besides, the dynamical behavior of VO2 memristors is utilized in compact Leaky Integrate and Fire (LIF) and Adaptive-LIF (ALIF) neurons, which are incorporated into a decision-making Long short-term memory Spiking Neural Network. The system demonstrates superior computing capabilities, needing only small-sized LSNNs to attain high accuracies of 95.83% and 99.79% in arrhythmia classification and epileptic seizure detection, respectively. This work highlights the potential of memristors in constructing efficient neuromorphic physiological signal processing systems and promoting next-generation human-machine interfaces.

Compressed natural gas (CNG) taxis represent the most ubiquitous and dynamically active passenger vehicles in urban settings. The pollutant emission characteristics of in-use CNG taxis driving on a typical mountain city before and after three-way catalyst (TWC) replacement was examined using a modular on-board portable emissions measurement system (PEMS), the OBS-ONE developed by Horiba. The results showed that the exhaust NO of CNG taxis equipped with deactivation TWC exceeded the emission limits, even higher than gasoline vehicles. The high emission rate of CNG taxis is mainly concentrated on road slopes between a 2% and 6% gradient and a deceleration rate in the interval of [0.5, 4], respectively, which results in higher emissions from CNG taxis traveling in the mountain city of Chongqing than other cities and vehicles. Moreover, the pollutant emission rates of the in-use CNG taxis were highly correlated with the velocity and the vehicle specific power (VSP). After a new TWC replacement, the emission factors of carbon monoxide (CO), total hydrocarbons (THC), nitrogen oxides (NOx), and particle number (PN) decreased by 85.21–89.11%, 68.71–85.49%, 60.91–81.11%, and 62.26–68.39%, respectively. Our results will provide guidance for urban environments to carry out the comprehensive management of in-use vehicles and emphasize the importance of TWC replacement for CNG taxis.

BackgroundCOVID-19 screening is an effective nonpharmaceutical intervention for identifying infected individuals and interrupting viral transmission. However, questions have been raised regarding its effectiveness in controlling the spread of novel variants and its high socioeconomic costs. Therefore, the optimization of COVID-19 screening strategies has attracted great attention. ObjectiveThis review aims to summarize the evidence and provide a reference basis for the optimization of screening strategies for the prevention and control of COVID-19. MethodsWe applied a methodological framework for scoping reviews and the PRISMA-ScR (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Extension for Scoping Reviews) checklist. We conducted a scoping review of the present publications on the optimization of COVID-19 screening strategies. We searched the PubMed, Web of Science, and Elsevier ScienceDirect databases for publications up to December 31, 2022. English publications related to screening and testing strategies for COVID-19 were included. A data-charting form, jointly developed by 2 reviewers, was used for data extraction according to the optimization directions of the screening strategies. ResultsA total of 2770 unique publications were retrieved from the database search, and 95 abstracts were retained for full-text review. There were 62 studies included in the final review. We summarized the results in 4 major aspects: the screening population (people at various risk conditions such as different regions and occupations; 12/62, 19%), the timing of screening (when the target population is tested before travel or during an outbreak; 12/62, 19%), the frequency of screening (appropriate frequencies for outbreak prevention, outbreak response, or community transmission control; 6/62, 10%), and the screening and detection procedure (the choice of individual or pooled detection and optimization of the pooling approach; 35/62, 56%). ConclusionsThis review reveals gaps in the optimization of COVID-19 screening strategies and suggests that a number of factors such as prevalence, screening accuracy, effective allocation of resources, and feasibility of strategies should be carefully considered in the development of future screening strategies.

BackgroundThe burden of hepatitis B virus (HBV), hepatitis C virus (HCV), and syphilis coinfections remains disproportionately high among people living with HIV/AIDS. Hubei province is located in central China, where there are distinct regional characteristics of the distribution of people living with HIV/AIDS acquired via diverse transmission routes and the AIDS epidemic itself. ObjectiveWe aimed to estimate the magnitude of HBV, HCV, or syphilis coinfections among people living with HIV/AIDS with blood-borne transmission, which includes former paid blood donors, contaminated blood recipients, and intravenous drug users, as well as among people with sex-borne HIV transmission (including heterosexual people and men who have sex with men) and people with mother-to-child HIV transmission. MethodsFrom January 2010 to December 2020, people living with HIV/AIDS were tested for hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), HCV antibodies, and syphilis-specific antibodies. The positive patients were further tested for HBV markers, HBV DNA, and HCV RNA, and received a rapid plasma reagin circle card test. All people living with HIV/AIDS were first divided into transmission groups (blood, sex, and mother-to-child); then, people with blood-borne HIV transmission were divided into former paid blood donors, contaminated blood recipients, and intravenous drug users, while people with sex-borne HIV transmission were divided into heterosexual people and men who have sex with men. ResultsAmong 6623 people living with HIV/AIDS, rates of chronic HCV infection were 80.3% (590/735) in former paid blood donors, 73.3% (247/337) in intravenous drug users, 57.1% (444/777) in contaminated blood recipients, 19.4% (21/108) in people with mother-to-child HIV transmission, 8.1% (240/2975) in heterosexual people, and 1.2% (21/1691) in men who have sex with men. Chronic HBV infection rates were similar among all people with blood-borne HIV transmission. However, compared to heterosexual people, the chronic HBV infection rate was greater in men who have sex with men (213/1691, 12.6% vs 308/2975, 10.4%; χ21=5.469; P=.02), although HBV exposure was less common (827/1691, 48.9% vs 1662/2975, 55.9%; χ21=20.982; P

ObjectiveTo investigate the level of screen time and gross motor movement level and the correlation between them in left-behind children aged 3 to 6 years old in China.MethodsA randomized whole-group sampling method was used to study 817 left-behind children aged 3-6 years in 15 kindergartens in Xiangcheng city, Henan province. The third version of the Test of Gross Motor Development (TGMD-3) was used to test the children's gross motor movement level, and the screen time questionnaire was used to test the children's screen time level. The relationship between the two and the indicators was explored using Pearson's two-sided correlation and multilevel regression.ResultsThe average daily screen time of left-behind children aged 3-6 years old increased with age, and the reporting rate of >2 h/d ranged from 22.43% to 33.73%; gross motor movement of left-behind children aged 3-6 years old increased with age, with significant differences between age (pConclusionThere is a correlation between screen time and gross motor movement development in children aged 3-6 years old left behind, and the gross motor movement ability of children aged 3-6 years old can be developed by reducing screen time and increasing physical activity.

Purpose According to international guidelines, selective lymph node dissection can be performed on patients with early-stage endometrial cancer. However, some patients at early stage have already occurred lymph node metastasis at the time of diagnosis. This study was aimed to find a method to predict the risk of lymph node metastasis in this part of patient. Methods We collected data from 571 patients as training cohort and 351 patients as validation cohort for this study. Then we performed univariate and multivariate analyses to confirm the correlation of frequently used factors and lymph node metastasis. Combined analysis of four commonly indicators (ERα, PR, P53 and Ki67) from pathological parameter sources was mainly carried out, and the combined ratio is defined as (ERα + PR)/(Ki67 + P53). Then the accuracy of the combined ratio and other factors in prediction were compared by AUC value. Also, the optimal truncation value was searched. Finally, patients followed up for more than two years were divided into groups by the threshold value, and their difference in survival was explored. Results This study showed that CA125, grade, LVSI, ERα, PR, P53, Ki67 have statistical significance (P-value

In this paper, we investigate the combined KdV-mKdV equation which serves as a valuable tool in the study of water waves, enabling researchers to understand and predict the behaviour of various wave phenomena, including solitary waves, wave breaking, turbulence, wave-structure interactions, and tsunamis. Using the bilinear approach, its rational solutions with free multi-parameters and N-soliton solutions in the determinant form are obtained. The novel idea in this paper is that we develop the bilinear approach allowing free multi-parameters in rational solutions. The dynamics of rational solutions are presented by selecting appropriate parameters. By the bilinear approach, different to the Darboux transformation method, there are no limiting techniques involved on the spectrum parameters to obtain rational solutions. The approach can be extended to obtain other types of solutions if outside the framework of polynomials.

Reclaiming estuarine tidal flats is practiced to meet the growing demand for land. The reclaimed new land (RNL) on the Eastern Hengsha Shoal in the Changjiang Estuary is for agricultural production in Shanghai. Whether freshwater resources exist around the RNL has become a critical issue \caused by estuarine saltwater intrusion. In this study, the spatiotemporal saltwater intrusion and freshwater distribution around the RNL at different guarantee rates of river discharge using the improved 3D numerical model ECOM-si was investigated. Three water intakes on Hengsha Island and the northern edge of the RNL were set. The results showed that at different guarantee rates of river discharge during the dry season, there is a relatively sufficient suitable water intake time in the upper RNL. Nevertheless, there is a very limited suitable water intake time in the middle and lower RNL as the guarantee rate increases, especially in January and February. During the flood season, three water intakes can ensure sufficient suitable water intake time. The salinity around the RNL significantly increases under the combined effect of 50% and 95% guarantee rates with a 12 m/s northerly wind in February, resulting in a significant threat to the three water intakes. At the 50% guarantee rate, the suitable water intake times in February are 14.86, 9.78 and 3.53 days at three water intakes, respectively. At the 95% guarantee rate, the suitable water intake time in February is only 0.31 days in the upper RNL, and there is no freshwater in the middle and lower RNL. Overall, there is sufficient freshwater in the flood season and limited freshwater in the dry season for agriculture along the northern edge of the RNL.

Epilepsy is a prevalent neurological disorder, rendering the development of automated seizure detection systems imperative. While complex machine learning models are powerful, their training and hardware deployment remain challenging. The reservoir computing system offers a low-cost solution in terms of both hardware requirements and training. In this paper, we introduce a compact reservoir computing system for seizure detection, based on the α-In2Se3 dynamic memristors. Leaky integrate-and-fire neurons are used for post-processing the output of the system, and experimental results indicate their effectiveness in suppressing erroneous outputs, where both accuracy and specificity are enhanced by over 2.5%. The optimized compact reservoir system achieves 96.40% accuracy, 86.34% sensitivity, and 96.56% specificity in seizure detection tasks. This work demonstrates the feasibility of using reservoir computing for seizure detection and shows its potential for future application in extreme edge devices.

Safe and effective delivery of DNA to post-mitotic cells, especially highly differentiated cells, remains a challenge despite significant progress in the development of gene delivery tools. Biodegradable polymeric nanoparticles (NPs) offer an array of advantages for gene delivery over viral vectors due to improved safety, carrying capacity, ease of manufacture, and cell-type specificity. Here we demonstrate the use of a high-throughput screening (HTS) platform to synthesize and screen a library of 148 biodegradable polymeric nanoparticles, successfully identifying structures that enable efficient transfection of human pluripotent stem cell differentiated human retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells with minimal toxicity. These NPs can deliver plasmid DNA (pDNA) to RPE monolayers more efficiently than leading commercially available transfection reagents. Novel synthetic polymers are described that enable high efficacy non-viral gene delivery to hard-to-transfect polarized human RPE monolayers, enabling gene loss- and gain-of-function studies of cell signaling, developmental, and disease-related pathways. One new synthetic polymer in particular, 3,3'-iminobis(N,N-dimethylpropylamine)-end terminated poly(1,5-pentanediol diacrylate-co-3 amino-1-propanol) (5-3-J12), was found to form self-assembled nanoparticles when mixed with plasmid DNA that transfect a majority of these human post-mitotic cells with minimal cytotoxicity. The platform described here can be utilized as an enabling technology for gene transfer to human primary and stem cell-derived cells, which are often fragile and resistant to conventional gene transfer approaches.

The digital and programmable metasurfaces, as opposed to conventional metasurfaces, offer a more sophisticated method of collaborating information and physics, showcasing several real-time controls to electromagnetic (EM) ways in succinct ways. In this work, we propose a multi-frequency amplitude-programmable (MFAP) metasurface with multiple frequency channels to enhance the presentation and manipulation of EM data. With this metasurface, the reflected amplitudes can be simultaneously and independently encoded between high (digit “1”) and low (digit “0”) levels. The amplitude code is unique, which exhibits both reflection coefficients and radiation patterns to allow for flexible multi-functional EM operations with frequency. For instance, the MFAP metasurface can be used to design innovative communication systems by transmitting various EM signals individually across the channels in time domain. It is also possible to carry out multi-bit transmissions by mixing these frequency channels. By introducing complex coding patterns in space domain, it is possible to manipulate EM powers with greater precision. A square-split ring meta-atom that can achieve stable single-frequency amplitude control and multi-frequency 1 bit amplitude-programmable features is described as a proof-of-concept. Varactors loaded on metallic structures of various sizes are switched between operating states to modify the amplitude codes at each frequency channel. The suggested MFAP metasurface’s validity is confirmed by simulations and measurements from a dual-channel MFAP metasurface prototype.

The salience network has been hypothesised to modulate default mode network activity during stimulus-driven cognition. Here, the authors show that in rats, stimulation of the anterior insular cortex, a key node of the salience network, suppresses the default mode network and decouples these networks, providing in vivo evidence of a causal role of the anterior insular cortex in brain network switching.

Utilizing the heterosis of indica/japonica hybrid rice (IJHR) is an effective way to further increase rice grain yield. Rational application of nitrogen (N) fertilizer plays a very important role in using the heterosis of IJHR to achieve its great yield potential. However, the responses of the grain yield and N utilization of IJHR to N application rates and the underlying physiological mechanism remain elusive. The purpose of this study was to clarify these issues. Three rice cultivars currently used in rice production, an IJHR cultivar Yongyou 2640 (YY2640), a japonica cultivar Lianjing 7 (LJ-7) and an indica cultivar Yangdao 6 (YD-6), were grown in the field with six N rates (0, 100, 200, 300, 400, and 500 kg ha−1) in 2018 and 2019. The results showed that with the increase in N application rates, the grain yield of each test cultivar increased at first and then decreased, and the highest grain yield was at the N rate of 400 kg ha−1 for YY2640, with a grain yield of 13.4 t ha−1, and at 300 kg ha−1 for LJ-7 and YD-6, with grain yields of 9.4–10.6 t ha−1. The grain yield and N use efficiency (NUE) of YY2640 were higher than those of LJ-7 or YD-6 at the same N rate, especially at the higher N rates. When compared with LJ-7 or YD-6, YY2640 exhibited better physiological traits, including greater root oxidation activity and leaf photosynthetic rate, higher cytokinin content in the roots and leaves, and more remobilization of assimilates from the stem to the grain during grain filling. The results suggest that IJHR could attain both higher grain yield and higher NUE than inbred rice at either low or high N application rates. Improved shoot and root traits of the IJHR contribute to its higher grain yield and NUE, and a higher content of cytokinins in the IJHR plants plays a vital role in their responses to N application rates and also benefits other physiological processes.