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Background: This study estimated the association between pre-pandemic social network properties and symptoms of posttraumatic stress during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic in South Korea. Methods: We conducted four online mental health surveys during COVID-19 (from March 14, 2020, to December 11, 2021) among individuals enrolled in a community-based cohort study (previously recruited from 2013 to 2018). Among 4060 people interviewed at the pre-pandemic baseline, 2652 individuals (men = 951, women = 1701) who responded to at least one of the four surveys conducted were included. At baseline, each individual's social network, including size and average closeness, was measured in an egocentric way. Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5) was measured at each survey point. A generalized linear model and a generalized linear mixed model were used after stratified by sex. Results: Among men, network size was negatively associated with total PCL-5 score (b = −0.42, SE = 0.16, p = 0.002). The magnitude of the association increased over time and was maximal by the 4th survey (b = −0.65, SE = 0.31, p = 0.037). Among women, average closeness was negatively associated with the total PCL-5 score (b = −1.16, SE = 0.37, p = 0.002). In analyses disaggregated by symptom clusters, social networks were associated explicitly with symptoms of intrusion and mood but not with avoidance and arousal symptoms. Conclusion: In this cohort of adults followed for more than a year during the outbreak of COVID-19 in South Korea, social networks established before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic had a protective association against developing symptoms of PTSD during the first two years of the pandemic.

In vitro culture systems that structurally model human myogenesis and promote PAX7+ myogenic progenitor maturation have not been established. Here we report that human skeletal muscle organoids can be differentiated from induced pluripotent stem cell lines to contain paraxial mesoderm and neuromesodermal progenitors and develop into organized structures reassembling neural plate border and dermomyotome. Culture conditions instigate neural lineage arrest and promote fetal hypaxial myogenesis toward limb axial anatomical identity, with generation of sustainable uncommitted PAX7 myogenic progenitors and fibroadipogenic (PDGFRa+) progenitor populations equivalent to those from the second trimester of human gestation. Single-cell comparison to human fetal and adult myogenic progenitor /satellite cells reveals distinct molecular signatures for non-dividing myogenic progenitors in activated (CD44High/CD98+/MYOD1+) and dormant (PAX7High/FBN1High/SPRY1High) states. Our approach provides a robust 3D in vitro developmental system for investigating muscle tissue morphogenesis and homeostasis.

Abstract Gastric cancer stem cells (GCSCs) are self‐renewing tumor cells that govern chemoresistance in gastric adenocarcinoma (GAC), whereas their regulatory mechanisms remain elusive. Here, the study aims to elucidate the role of ATOH1 in the maintenance of GCSCs. The preclinical model and GAC sample analysis indicate that ATOH1 deficiency is correlated with poor GAC prognosis and chemoresistance. ScRNA‐seq reveals that ATOH1 is downregulated in the pit cells of GAC compared with those in paracarcinoma samples. Lineage tracing reveals that Atoh1 deletion strongly confers pit cell stemness. ATOH1 depletion significantly accelerates cancer stemness and chemoresistance in Tff1‐CreERT2; Rosa26Tdtomato and Tff1‐CreERT2; Apcfl/fl; p53fl/fl (TcPP) mouse models and organoids. ATOH1 deficiency downregulates growth arrest‐specific protein 1 (GAS1) by suppressing GAS1 promoter transcription. GAS1 forms a complex with RET, which inhibits Tyr1062 phosphorylation, and consequently activates the RET/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway by ATOH1 deficiency. Combining chemotherapy with drugs targeting AKT/mTOR signaling can overcome ATOH1 deficiency‐induced chemoresistance. Moreover, it is confirmed that abnormal DNA hypermethylation induces ATOH1 deficiency. Taken together, the results demonstrate that ATOH1 loss promotes cancer stemness through the ATOH1/GAS1/RET/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway in GAC, thus providing a potential therapeutic strategy for AKT/mTOR inhibitors in GAC patients with ATOH1 deficiency.

This paper presents an eye image segmentation-based computer-aided system for automatic diagnosis of ocular myasthenia gravis (OMG), called OMGMed. It provides great potential to effectively liberate the diagnostic efficiency of expert doctors (the scarce resources) and reduces the cost of healthcare treatment for diagnosed patients, making it possible to disseminate high-quality myasthenia gravis healthcare to under-developed areas. The system is composed of data pre-processing, indicator calculation, and automatic OMG scoring. Building upon this framework, an empirical study on the eye segmentation algorithm is conducted. It further optimizes the algorithm from the perspectives of “network structure” and “loss function”, and experimentally verifies the effectiveness of the hybrid loss function. The results show that the combination of “nnUNet” network structure and “Cross-Entropy + Iou + Boundary” hybrid loss function can achieve the best segmentation performance, and its MIOU on the public and private myasthenia gravis datasets reaches 82.1% and 83.7%, respectively. The research has been used in expert centers. The pilot study demonstrates that our research on eye image segmentation for OMG diagnosis is very helpful in improving the healthcare quality of expert doctors. We believe that this work can serve as an important reference for the development of a similar auxiliary diagnosis system and contribute to the healthy development of proactive healthcare services.

This study presents an optimal design for a new rotary engine. Instantaneous shape functions were applied to the combustion chamber, and intake and exhaust ports were derived based on the rotor and housing design functions; then optimized design parameters were derived for a rotary engine. The three main parameters were shape distance, eccentric distance and rotor thickness. The design process for the optimized internal shape was subsequently defined considering target specifications for the rotary engine, and a prototype engine was designed and fabricated with a 336 cm3 intake volume. The compression pressure for the prototype engine was compared with the motoring test and calculated. These outcomes confirmed the new engine’s feasibility, and the derived geometric shape functions will be helpful to ensure optimal design for rotary engines using one- or three-dimensional computational fluid dynamics.

Objective: To develop an inflammation-based risk stratification tool for operative mortality in patients with acute type A aortic dissection. Methods: Between January 1, 2016 and December 31, 2021, 3124 patients from Beijing Anzhen Hospital were included for derivation, 571 patients from the same hospital were included for internal validation, and 1319 patients from other 12 hospitals were included for external validation. The primary outcome was operative mortality according to the Society of Thoracic Surgeons criteria. Least absolute shrinkage and selection operator regression were used to identify clinical risk factors. A model was developed using different machine learning algorithms. The performance of the model was determined using the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) for discrimination, calibration curves, and Brier score for calibration. The final model (5A score) was tested with respect to the existing clinical scores. Results: Extreme gradient boosting was selected for model training (5A score) using 12 variables for prediction—the ratio of platelet to leukocyte count, creatinine level, age, hemoglobin level, prior cardiac surgery, extent of dissection extension, cerebral perfusion, aortic regurgitation, sex, pericardial effusion, shock, and coronary perfusion—which yields the highest AUC (0.873 [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.845-0.901]). The AUC of 5A score was 0.875 (95% CI 0.814-0.936), 0.845 (95% CI 0.811-0.878), and 0.852 (95% CI 0.821-0.883) in the internal, external, and total cohort, respectively, which outperformed the best existing risk score (German Registry for Acute Type A Aortic Dissection score AUC 0.709 [95% CI 0.669-0.749]). Conclusion: The 5A score is a novel, internally and externally validated inflammation-based tool for risk stratification of patients before surgical repair, potentially advancing individualized treatment. Trial Registration: clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT04918108

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is the most aggressive and deadliest type of brain tumor with a > >th he most aggressive and deadliest type of brain tumor witnear-infrared fluorescent dye, but it is hard to directly target brain tumor. Therefore, our study aimed to develop a new carrier for ICG to accurately visualize cancer tissue during surgery. Exosomes were isolated from culture U-87 MG cells, then loaded with Indocyanine green (ICG) and conjugated with RGERPPR peptide (RGE) (R-exo-ICG). The parameters of R-exo-ICG were analyzed and injected into tumor-bearing nude mice to evaluate its anti-tumor effect. R-exo-ICGs were nano size, and completely released ICG within 24 h. RGE modification increased cell uptake of exosomes, and induced cell apoptosis through activating Caspase 3 signaling pathway after laser irradiation. Moreover, R-exo-ICG was largely accumulated in the brain tumor in vivo, and inhibited tumor growth in tumor-bearing mice. RGE-conjugated exosomes that loaded ICG could target brain tumor in mice and significantly inhibited tumor growth in mice, which suggested that R-exo-ICG might serve as a novel approach for GBM treatment.

This study aimed to investigate the effects of salted shrimp on kimchi fermentation. Four types of kimchi (KWD, KWR, KWC, and KWY), based on the variety of salted shrimp (Detteugijeot, Red shrimp jeot, Chujeot, and Yukjeot, respectively), were prepared and stored at 4°C for 6 weeks. Amino nitrogen content in KWD was significantly higher after 4 weeks (P

Background/purpose: Mass screening for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is important to prevent the spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Pooling samples can increase the number of tests processed. LabTurbo AIO 48 is an automated platform that allows ribonucleic acid extraction and sample analysis on the same instrument. We created a novel pooling assay on this platform for SARS-CoV-2 detection and demonstrated that the pooling strategy increases testing capacity without affecting accuracy and sensitivity. Methods: Comparative limit of detection (LoD) assessment was performed on the LabTurbo AIO 48 platform and the current standard detection system based on real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (rRT-PCR) using 55 clinically positive samples. An additional 330 primary clinical samples were assessed. Results: Six samples pooled into one reaction tube were detected in approximately 2.5 h using the World Health Organization rRT-PCR protocol. LabTurbo AIO 48 also demonstrated a higher throughput than our reference rRT-PCR assay, with an LoD of 1000 copies/mL. The overall percentage agreement between the methods for the 330 samples was 100%. Conclusion: We created a novel multi-specimen pooling assay using LabTurbo AIO 48 for the robust detection of SARS-CoV-2, allowing high-throughput results; this assay will aid in better control and prevention of COVID-19. The diagnostic assay was cost-effective and time-efficient; thus, the pooling strategy is a practical and effective method for diagnosing large quantities of specimens without compromising precision.

Abstract Background The healing period from crown lengthening procedures (CLPs) often delays the final crown delivery. This study aimed to explore the feasibility of a new approach expediting the delivery of the final crowns for teeth requiring CLPs. Methods Teeth requiring CLPs and single-crown restorations between the canine and the second molar were included. After the initial tooth preparation, a CLP was performed. In the experimental group, the final tooth preparation and final impression were made during the CLP; the final crown was then delivered at the suture-removal appointment. In the control group, the final impression was made 8 weeks after the CLP. The level of gingival margin (GM), pocket depth (PD), and crestal bone levels (CBLs) were compared between the two groups before CLPs (T0), at delivery of the crowns (T1), and at 12 months in function (T2). Results Twenty-one lithium-disilicate crowns were delivered to 20 subjects and followed up. The mean interval between the CLPs and the delivery of crowns was 2.5 weeks for the experimental group and 12 weeks for the control group. No significant differences were observed between the two groups in the level of GM, PD, and CBLs at each time point. No significant treatment difference in crestal bone loss was observed between the two groups at T2 (Experimental = -0.11 mm, Control = -0.03 mm; p = 0.67). Conclusion Making the final tooth preparation and the final impression at the CLP significantly reduced the time between the CLP and the delivery of the final crown and showed comparable clinical outcomes.

Annular fuel is a new type of fuel used in pressurized water reactor. The fuel pellets are annular shape and loaded between internal and external cladding. Annular fuel consists of two coolant channels, namely the internal channel and the external channel. The pellets can be cooled by both sides simultaneously. The spacer grid is one of the core components of annular fuel assembly, which has an important influence on flow and heat transfer characteristics. In this paper, the numerical calculation model of 13×13 annular fuel fullspan grid was established for straightthrough cell grid and externallyexpanded cell grid based on computational fluid dynamics (CFD) method. The flow and heat transfer characteristics of the two grids were studied. Due to the symmetrical structure of annular fuel, 1/8 external subchannels were selected to evaluate the uniformity of velocity distribution by calculating the standard deviation (σ) of velocity distribution. Three evaluation factors including swirl factor, cross flow factor and turbulence intensity factor were defined, and the mixing characteristics of the two kinds of grids were analyzed based on central sub-channel. The axial heat transfer characteristics of the two grids were evaluated by calculating the average Nusselt number (Nu) distribution of the angular sub-channel, the side sub-channel and the central sub-channel. The circumferential heat transfer characteristics of fuel rods were evaluated by calculating the circumferential Nu. The resistance characteristics of the spacer grid were evaluated by comparing the axial pressure distribution of annular fuel and the resistance coefficient of the spacer grid. By comparing and calculating the coolant flow distribution ratio (φ) between the external channel and the internal channel, the adjustment effect of two kinds of grids on the flow distribution ratio was evaluated. It shows that externallyexpanded cell grid can form a constricted orifice with throttling function, compared with the straightthrough cell grid. It has a good regulating effect on the resistance characteristics and flow distribution characteristics of annular fuel, and can significantly improve the distribution uniformity of flow and heat transfer parameters of external sub-channels. By adopting the externally-expanded cell grid, the velocity distribution uniformity in the external sub-channel is increased by 54%, the maximum relative deviation of the average Nu of each subchannel is reduced from 65% to 24%, and the maximum relative deviation of the circumferential Nu of the fuel rods is reduced from 35% to 24%, which significantly improves the distribution uniformity of the flow and heat transfer parameters in the subchannels. The externally expanded grid has a more significant mixing effect on the fluid, and the active distance reaches 35Dh, which has an enhanced effect on the subchannel heat transfer. In addition, the resistance coefficient of the external expansion grid is 45 times that of the straightthrough grid, and the flow distribution ratio is only 53% of that of the straight-through grid, which has a good adjustment effect on the resistance characteristics and flow distribution characteristics of the annular fuel.

Abstract The effect of an external electric field on the quark matter is an important question due to the presence of strong electric fields in heavy ion collisions. In the lattice QCD approach, the case of a real electric field suffers from the ‘sign problem’, and a classical electric field is often used similar as the case of chemical potential. Interestingly, in axial gauge a uniform classical electric field actually can correspond to an inhomogeneous imaginary chemical potential that varies with coordinate. On the other hand, with imaginary chemical potential, Roberge-Weiss (R-W) phase transition occurs. In this work, the case of a uniform classical electric field is studied by using lattice QCD approach, with the emphasis on the properties of the R-W phase. Novel phenomena show up at high temperatures. It is found that, the chiral condensation oscillates with z at high temperatures, and so is the absolute value of the Polyakov loop. It is verified that the charge density also oscillates with z at high temperatures. The Polyakov loop can be described by an ansatz A p + Σ q=u,d C q exp (L τ Q q iazeE z ), where A p is a complex number and C d > 0, C u ≥ 0 are real numbers that are fitted for different temperatures and electric field strengths. As a consequence, the behavior of the phase of Polyakov loop is different depending on whether the Polyakov loop encloses the origin, which implies a possible phase transition.

The digital beam position monitor processer (DBPM) is one of the important beam diagnosis equipments in particle accelerator and it will be massproduced during the construction of Upgrade of Beijing Electron Positron Collider (BEPCⅡ) and high energy photon source (HEPS), which brings great challenges to the testing work. The analog to digital converter (ADC) module is an essential component of DBPM and its conversion accuracy determines the resolution of the beam position measurement. Therefore, in order to ensure that these two projects meet the design targets, it is necessary to test the ADC performance. Its main observation object includes the phaselocked loop, sampling clock jitter, signaltonoise ratio (SNR), etc. To meet the batch test requirements of the selfdeveloped DBPM ADC, a method of testing the sampling performance based on the histogram was proposed. The histogram’s test principle is that the shape of the histogram can detect whether the sampling clock is phaselocked to the input signal, the boundary value of the histogram reflects the amplitude of the input signal to judge if the ADC is saturated, and the average and standard deviation of the data peak on the histogram can be used to calculate the clock jitter that conforms to the normal distribution. In this paper, the mathematical relation between the statistics of each data peak, clock jitter, and SNR was simulated by MATLAB in the situation of phaselocking. The separation algorithm was designed to obtain the data corresponding to each peak of the histogram and compute the clock jitter and SNR. An integrated test platform was built and experiments were carried out to verify the testing effect of the histogram method. The experimental results show that when the amount of sampling data is appropriate, the histogram method can complete the test quickly and accurately, and the measurement result is close to that of the highperformance phase noise analyzer. The clock jitter measurement error is less than 200 fs, the SNR measurement error is less than 2 dB, and the entire test duration is less than 1 min, which fulfills large volume testing demands. Compared with the manual instrument measure method, the histogram approach is simpler and lower cost to test with the same order of magnitude accuracy and has been implemented by programming to reduce labor intensity. The test program has been implemented in the automatic test platform and used to batch detection of DBPM products successfully.

Background Coronary artery disease (CAD) is increasing worldwide due to the aging population and cardiometabolic syndrome. However, the extent of postoperative myocardial injury, the most common cause of death during the 30 days after noncardiac surgery, remains unclear with respect to liver transplant (LT) patients with CAD. We examined the link between post-LT high sensitivity cardiac troponin I (hs_cTnI) and long-term survival according to liver disease severity. Methods Consecutive patients who underwent LT (n = 3,220) from 2010 to 2020 were evaluated retrospectively. CAD was defined as a history of coronary artery bypass surgery or percutaneous intervention, or previous myocardial infarction. Peak hs_cTnI levels within 30 days post-transplant were compared in patients with and without CAD. The primary endpoint was defined as an all-cause mortality at 12 years following LT. Secondary endpoints include peak hs_cTnI level within post-transplant 30 days and 30-day mortality. Survival analysis was performed using the Kaplan-Meier method. Results CAD patients (n = 264, 8.2%) had higher peak hs_cTnI levels within 30 days post-LT than those without CAD (median [interquartile]: 0.068 [0.030-0.154] vs. 0.087 [0.037-0.203] ng/ml, respectively; P = 0.004); however, the mortality rate was comparable (14.7% vs. 14.8%, respectively, P = 0.999), at 12 years, and 1.9% vs. 1.1% (P = 0.522) at 30 days, respectively, at 30 days. Subgroup analysis with stratified liver disease severity identified a similar risk of long-term mortality. Conclusions Although the peak hs_cTnI level within 30 days was higher in revascularized or treated CAD patients after LT compared those without CAD, long-term mortality rates at 12 years and 30-day mortality rate were comparable.

Background Considering the importance of the inflammatory status of recipients on outcomes following liver transplantation (LT), we investigated the association between C-reactive protein–to–albumin ratio (CAR) and one-year mortality following LT and compared it with other parameters reflecting patients’ underlying inflammatory status. Methods A total of 3,614 consecutive adult LT recipients were retrospectively evaluated. Prognostic parameters were analyzed using area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) analysis, and subsequent cutoffs were derived. For survival analysis, Cox proportional hazards and Kaplan–Meier analyses were performed. Results The AUROC for CAR to predict one-year mortality after LT was 0.68 (0.65–0.72), which was the highest compared with other inflammatory parameters, with the best cutoff of 0.34. A CAR ≥ 0.34 was associated with a significantly higher one-year mortality rate (13.3% vs. 5.8 %, log-rank P < 0.001) and overall mortality rate (24.5% vs. 12.9%, log-rank P = 0.039). A CAR ≥ 0.34 was an independent predictor of one-year mortality (hazard ratio, 1.40 [1.03–1.90], P = 0.031) and overall mortality (hazard ratio 1.39 [1.13–1.71], P = 0.002) after multivariable adjustment. Conclusions Preoperative CAR (≥ 0.34) was independently associated with a higher risk of one-year and overall mortality after LT. This may suggest that CAR, a simple and readily available biomarker, maybe a practical index that may assist in the risk stratification of liver transplantation outcomes.

Purpose This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of computed tomography (CT) guided percutaneous cryoablation (CA) for the management of lung metastases in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC). Methods Retrospective analysis was performed on 38 mCRC patients with lung metastases, who underwent CT-guided percutaneous CA at our center from May 1, 2020 to November 1, 2021. The technical success rate, 1-year local control (LC) rate, recurrence-free survival (RFS) and treatment-related complications were analyzed. Results The CA procedure was successfully performed in all patients, with a technical success rate of 100%. The 1-year LC rate was 94.7% (36/38), while 16 patients experienced new distant lung metastases during the follow-up period. The median RFS was 20 months (95% CI: 13.0-27.0). The median RFS of patients with and without extrapulmonary metastasis was 15 and 23 months, respectively. Complications were reported in 18 (47.4%) patients following the CA procedure. Pneumothorax was discovered in 15 (39.5%) patients, and five of these patients (13.2%) required chest tube intubation. Two patients (5.3%) presented with hemoptysis during the CA procedure. One patient developed subcutaneous emphysema as detected in the post-procedure follow-up imaging. All patients tolerated the peri-procedural pain well under local anesthesia, and the mean visual analog scale (VAS) score was 2.8. Conclusion Lung CA is a safe and well-tolerated treatment with a satisfactory local control rate for patients with lung metastases derived from mCRC.

ABSTRACT Objective: The risk of malignancy and diagnostic accuracy of fine-needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) of thyroid nodules (TN) with diameters ≥ 3-4 cm remains controversial. However, some groups have indicated surgical treatment in these patients regardless of the FNAB results. We aimed to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of the FNAB in systematically resected ≥4 cm TN and if the risk of malignancy is higher in these patients. Subjects and methods: We retrospectively evaluated 138 patients (142 nodules) with TN with diameters ≥4 cm who underwent thyroidectomy. Results: The FNAB results were nondiagnostic/unsatisfactory (ND/UNS) in 2.1% of the cases and benign in 51.4%. They indicated atypia of undetermined significance/follicular lesion of undetermined significance (AUS/FLUS) in 23.9% of cases, follicular neoplasia/suspicious for a follicular neoplasm (FN/SFN) in 9.2%, suspicion of malignancy (SUS) in 8.5%, and malignant in 4.9%. The histopathological analysis after thyroidectomy revealed a thyroid cancer rate of 100% in the FNABs classified as malignant, 33.3% in SUS cases, 7.7% in FN/SFN, 17.6% in AUS/FLUS, and 4.1% in benign FNABs. None of the ND/UNS FNABs were malignant. The global malignancy diagnosis was 14.8% (n = 21). However, the rate of false negatives for FNAB was low (4.1%). Conclusion: We showed that the risk of malignancy in nodules with diameters ≥4 cm was higher compared to the risk of thyroid cancer in TN in general. However, we found a low rate of false-negative cytological results; therefore, our data do not justify the orientation of routine resection for these larger nodules.

Substance use disorders (SUD) can lead to serious health problems, and there is a great interest in developing new treatment methods to alleviate the impact of substance abuse. In recent years, the ketogenic diet (KD) has shown therapeutic benefits as a dietary therapy in a variety of neurological disorders. Recent studies suggest that KD can compensate for the glucose metabolism disorders caused by alcohol use disorder by increasing ketone metabolism, thereby reducing withdrawal symptoms and indicating the therapeutic potential of KD in SUD. Additionally, SUD often accompanies increased sugar intake, involving neural circuits and altered neuroplasticity similar to substance addiction, which may induce cross-sensitization and increased use of other abused substances. Reducing carbohydrate intake through KD may have a positive effect on this. Finally, SUD is often associated with mitochondrial damage, oxidative stress, inflammation, glia dysfunction, and gut microbial disorders, while KD may potentially reverse these abnormalities and serve a therapeutic role. Although there is much indirect evidence that KD has a positive effect on SUD, the small number of relevant studies and the fact that KD leads to side effects such as metabolic abnormalities, increased risk of malnutrition and gastrointestinal symptoms have led to the limitation of KD in the treatment of SUD. Here, we described the organismal disorders caused by SUD and the possible positive effects of KD, aiming to provide potential therapeutic directions for SUD.

Abstract This paper presents a reinforcement learning backstepping‐based control scheme for the design of a full vehicle active suspension system such that both the superior ride comfort and stabilization are achieved. It is well known that the traditional backstepping control scheme is suitable to solve higher order nonlinear system based on the strict‐feedback form; however, the disadvantage of the procedure requires computing the derivatives of virtual control signals, which is a very complex task. Therefore, a reinforcement learning scheme using the deep deterministic policy gradient (DDPG) control strategy is developed to replace the process of finding virtual control force in backstepping method. It not only avoids the complexity of analytically calculating the derivatives of the virtual control signals, but also retains the systems robustness when there exist random disturbances from road irregularities. To verify the performance of the proposed active suspension control scheme, the random road unevenness profiles according to ISO 8608 is considered as vertical and lateral disturbance input excitation of a full‐vehicle suspension system. Compared with conventional passive suspension system and backstepping control scheme, the proposed approach can be demonstrated to not only effectively improve ride comfort under random road excitation, but also improve the transient response and robustness.

Abstract The muon collider provides a unique opportunity to study the vector boson scattering processes and dimension-8 operators contributing to anomalous quartic gauge couplings (aQGCs). Because of the cleaner final state, it is easier to decode subprocess and certain operator couplings at a muon collider. We attempt to identify the anomalous WWWW coupling in the exclusive WW → WW scattering in this paper. Since one aQGC can be induced by multiple dimension-8 operators, the study of one coupling can help to confine different operators. Meanwhile, singling out the WW → WW process can help to study the unitarity bounds. The vector boson scattering process corresponding to the anomalous WWWW coupling is μ + μ − → νν ν ¯ ν ¯ $$ \nu \nu \overline{\nu}\overline{\nu } $$ ℓ + ℓ − , with four (anti-)neutrinos in the final state, which brings troubles in phenomenological studies. In this paper, the machine learning method is used to tackle this problem. We find that, the artificial neural network is helpful to extract the W + W − → W + W − contribution, and reconstruct the center of mass energy of the subprocess which is important in the study of the Standard Model effective field theory. The sensitivities and the expected constraints on the dimension-8 operators at the muon collider with s $$ \sqrt{s} $$ = 30 TeV are presented. We demonstrate that the artificial neural networks exhibit great potential in the phenomenological study of processes with multiple neutrinos in the final state.

Projects aimed at recording the unique values and characteristics of geographical regions, in terms of human, social, and economic aspects, have been increasing in number, along with plans to apply these data to future planning directions. However, such projects tend to develop gradually and in a uniform direction, contrary to its original intention. To address these problems, a survey method with consideration for regional characteristics is presented here. In addition, after local lifestyle is investigated, more effective procedures are needed to ensure that outcomes are actively utilized in local revitalization plans and that residents can access and use the data. This study proposes improvement directions for the South Korean context via examination of the progress, characteristics, and limitations of utilization of the results of such life-culture projects, based on a multiple case analysis of these projects in Seoul.

Evodiamine isolated from Evodia rutaecarpa has been known to have anti-tumor activity against various cancer cell types. Although there have been reports showing the inhibitory effect of evodiamine on cell survival of gastric cancer cell, it is not clearly explained how evodiamine affects the expression and modification of proteins associated with apoptosis and upstream signal pathways. We confirmed the cytotoxic activity of evodiamine against AGS and MKN45 cells by a WST assay, cell morphological change, and clonogenic assay. The apoptotic cells were evaluated by Annexin V/PI analysis and Western blot and the expressions of apoptosis-related molecules were confirmed by Western blot. Evodiamine promoted apoptosis of AGS gastric cancer cells through both intrinsic and extrinsic signal pathways in a time- and dose-dependent manner. Evodiamine attenuated the expression of anti-apoptotic proteins, including Bcl-2, XIAP, and survivin, and elevated that of the pro-apoptotic protein Bax. Evodiamine also suppressed the FAK/AKT/mTOR signal pathway. Based on these results, we expect that the results from this study will further elucidate our understanding of evodiamine as an anti-cancer drug.

Seed-borne pathogens in crops reduce the seed germination rate and hamper seedling growth, leading to significant yield loss. Due to the growing concerns about environmental damage and the development of resistance to agrochemicals among pathogen populations, there is a strong demand for eco-friendly alternatives to synthetic chemicals in agriculture. It has been well established during the last few decades that plant seeds harbor diverse microbes, some of which are vertically transmitted and important for plant health and productivity. In this study, we isolated culturable endophytic bacteria and fungi from soybean seeds and evaluated their antagonistic activities against common bacterial and fungal seed-borne pathogens of soybean. A total of 87 bacterial isolates and 66 fungal isolates were obtained. Sequencing of 16S rDNA and internal transcribed spacer amplicon showed that these isolates correspond to 30 and 15 different species of bacteria and fungi, respectively. Our antibacterial and antifungal activity assay showed that four fungal species and nine bacterial species have the potential to suppress the growth of at least one seed-borne pathogen tested in the study. Among them, Pseudomonas koreensis appears to have strong antagonistic activities across all the pathogens. Our collection of soybean seed endophytes would be a valuable resource not only for studying biology and ecology of seed endophytes but also for practical deployment of seed endophytes toward crop protection.

To study the influence of decay time on the results of bacterial endotoxin test, the content of bacterial endotoxins in technetium ［99mTc ］ methylenebisphosphonate injection (99mTc-MDP) was quantitatively determined by FC/ET and the photometric dynamic coloration method toward 99mTc-MDP was established. The photometric interference assay between bacterial endotoxins and Tachypleus Amebocyte lysate (Tal) on 99mTc-MDP solutions of different concentrations was carried out, and the results showed that no interference was happened to spectrophotometry when the sample solution was diluted by 30 times, and the concentration of bacterial endotoxin was less than 0.600 EU/mL that was in accordance with the criteria of Chinese Pharmacopoeia (2020 version), which stipulates the concentration of endotoxin should be less than 15 EU/mL. Moreover, the bacterial endotoxin detection results of 99mTc-MDP with different activities were not changed after decay. This established 99mTc-MDP bacterial endotoxins quantitative detection method, which is easily operated, has good reproducibility and reliability that can be utilized for the quantitative assay of bacterial endotoxin of 99mTc-MDP injection.

Abstract Identification of soft rot disease in napa cabbage, an essential ingredient of kimchi, is challenging at the industrial scale. Therefore, nondestructive imaging techniques are necessary. Here, we investigated the potential of hyperspectral imaging (HSI) processing in the near-infrared region (900–1700 nm) for classifying napa cabbage quality using nondestructive measurements. We determined the microbiological and physicochemical qualitative properties of napa cabbage for intercomparison of HSI information, extracted HSI characteristics from hyperspectral images to predict and classify freshness, and established a novel approach for classifying healthy and rotten napa cabbage. The second derivative Savitzky–Golay method for data preprocessing was implemented, followed by wavelength selection using variable importance in projection scores. For multivariate data of the classification models, partial least square discriminant analysis (PLS-DA), support vector machine (SVM), and random forests were used for predicting cabbage conditions. The SVM model accurately distinguished the cabbage exhibiting soft rot disease symptoms from the healthy cabbage. This study presents the potential of HSI systems for separating soft rot disease-infected napa cabbages from healthy napa cabbages using the SVM model, especially under the most effective wavelengths (970, 980, 1180, 1070, 1120, and 978 nm), prior to processing. These results are applicable to industrial multispectral images.

Abstract Metastatic triple-negative breast cancer (mTNBC) is a heterogeneous disease with a poor prognosis. Individualized survival prediction tool is useful for this population. We constructed the predicted nomograms for breast cancer-specific survival (BCSS) and overall survival (OS) using the data identified from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database. The Concordance index (C-index), the area under the time-dependent receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) and the calibration curves were used for the discrimination and calibration of the nomograms in the training and validation cohorts, respectively. 1962 mTNBC patients with a median follow-up was 13 months (interquartile range, 6–22 months), 1639 (83.54%) cases died of any cause, and 1469 (74.87%) died of breast cancer. Nine and ten independent prognostic factors for BCSS and OS were identified and integrated to construct the nomograms, respectively. The C-indexes of the nomogram for BCSS and OS were 0.694 (95% CI 0.676–0.712) and 0.699 (95% CI 0.679–0.715) in the training cohort, and 0.699 (95% CI 0.686–0.712) and 0.697 (95% CI 0.679–0.715) in the validation cohort, respectively. The AUC values of the nomograms to predict 1-, 2-, and 3-year BCSS and OS indicated good specificity and sensitivity in internal and external validation. The calibration curves showed a favorable consistency between the actual and the predicted survival in the training and validation cohorts. These nomograms based on clinicopathological factors and treatment could reliably predict the survival of mTNBC patient. This may be a useful tool for individualized healthcare decision-making.

Abstract The protozoan parasite Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) causes one of the most common human zoonotic diseases and infects approximately one-third of the global population. T. gondii infects nearly every cell type and causes severe symptoms in susceptible populations. In previous laboratory animal studies, T. gondii movement and transmission were not analyzed in real time. In a three-dimensional (3D) microfluidic assay, we successfully supported the complex lytic cycle of T. gondii in situ by generating a stable microvasculature. The physiology of the T. gondii-infected microvasculature was monitored in order to investigate the growth, paracellular and transcellular migration, and transmission of T. gondii, as well as the efficacy of T. gondii drugs.

Abstract The muon collider has recently received a great deal of attention because of its ability to achieve both high energy and high luminosity. It plays as a gauge boson collider because the vector boson scattering (VBS) becomes the dominant production topology for Standard Model processes starting from a few TeV of collision energy. In this paper, we propose that the process of μ + μ − annihilation into tri-photon is also very sensitive to the search of anomalous quartic gauge couplings (aQGCs). We investigate the projected constraints on the transverse operators contributing to aQGCs through μ + μ − → Z * /γ * → γγγ at muon colliders. For the muon collider with s $$ \sqrt{s} $$ = 3 TeV and L $$ \mathcal{L} $$ = 1 ab −1, the expected constraints are about two orders of magnitude stronger than those at the 13 TeV LHC.

Determining the orientation of in-situ stresses is crucial for various geoscience and engineering applications. Conventional methods for estimating these stress orientations often depend on focal mechanism solutions (FMSs) derived from earthquake data and formation micro-imager (FMI) data from well logs. However, these techniques can be costly, depth-inaccurate, and may lack spatial coverage. To address this issue, we introduce the use of three-dimensional (3D) seismic data (active sources) as a lateral constraint to approximate the 3D stress orientation field. Recognizing that both stress and fracture patterns are closely related to seismic velocity anisotropy, we derive the orientation of azimuthal anisotropy from multi-azimuth 3D seismic data to compensate for the lack of spatial stress orientation information. We apply our proposed workflow to a case study in the Weiyuan area of the Sichuan Basin, China, a region targeted for shale gas production. By integrating diverse datasets, including 3D seismic, earthquakes, and well logs, we develop a comprehensive 3D model of in-situ stress (orientations and magnitudes). Our results demonstrate that the estimated anisotropy orientations from 3D seismic data are consistent with the direction of maximum horizontal principal stress (SHmax) obtained from FMIs. We analyzed 12 earthquakes (magnitude > 3) recorded between 2016 and 2020 for their FMSs and compressional axis (Paxis) orientations. The derived SHmax direction from our 3D stress model is 110° ES (East-South), which shows excellent agreement with the FMSs (within 3.96°). This close alignment validates the reliability and precision of our integrated method for predicting 3D SHmax orientations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bacteria causing human infections can develop antibiotic resistance due to various factors. Temperature affects bacterial growth and gene transfer; however, studies exploring the association between the changes in local temperature and antibiotic resistance are limited. Here, we investigated the effects of local temperatures on the distribution of antibiotic resistance and transmission of carbapenemase-producing Enterobacterales using the data on Klebsiella pneumoniae from sentinel hospitals in eight regions included in the Korea Global Antimicrobial Resistance Surveillance System between 2017 and 2021. The resistance rates to most antibiotics, including carbapenems, varied significantly according to local temperature (p < 0.047), except for aminoglycosides. Conjugation experiments at various temperatures for strains encoding the carbapenemase gene on a plasmid revealed significant variation in the optimal conjugation temperatures for plasmids carrying blaKPC and blaNDM genes. The optimal conjugation temperatures demonstrating the highest stability for blaKPC- and blaNDM-carrying plasmids were 25 °C (p = 0.030) and 30 °C (p = 0.007), respectively. The stability of blaKPC-IncF was higher at 25 °C than that at 30 °C (p = 0.032) or 37 °C (p = 0.047), while blaKPC-IncX3 exhibited the lowest stability at 37 °C (p = 0.047). blaNDM-IncX3 was more stable at 30 °C than at 37 °C (p = 0.049). These findings suggest that the optimal temperature for carbapenemase gene transmission varied between 25 °C and 30 °C, indicating that warmer seasons promote the transfer of more antibiotic resistance-related genes and highlighting the importance of local temperature in the spread and transmission of plasmids carrying carbapenemases.

Academic interest in athletic performance is ongoing. To examine the correlation between athletic performance and athletes’ personality types, data extraction in line with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines was completed in October 2021, and a meta-analysis was performed using 180 data from 18 selected papers using the “meta” package version 4.8-4 of R Studio 3.3.3. As a result, these selected studies proved to have reliable quality in proceeding with this study via quality assessment. The overall effect of personality on athletic performance (AP) was ESr = 0.124, p < 0.01. Furthermore, only conscientiousness (ESr = 0.178, p < 0.001) and extroversion (ESr = 0.145, p < 0.01), among the five personality types, showed statistically significant results, and these two personality types had a positive correlation with performance. In the publication bias test, this study found that (a) agreeableness had a publication bias; but, with an additional test using trim-and-fill, (b) the effect was not significant enough to be considered. In addition, the analysis of the moderating effects was conducted in four aspects, and all moderating effect analyses showed statistically significant differences between the groups, demonstrating the heterogeneity of this study. Therefore, this study found a significant relationship between personality and athletic performance and showed the importance of conscientiousness and extroversion.