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This study aims to investigate the interoperability of the Bitcoin blockchain by comparing the US dollar prices of five cryptocurrencies derived from the Bitcoin price with their corresponding market prices. The deviation rate between the derived price and the market price, referred to as the arbitrage return rate, is examined with respect to its adherence to the efficient market hypothesis and martingale theory principles, specifically regarding mean-reversion and serial independence. Hurst exponents are estimated using R/S and DFA methods, and their dynamics are analyzed using a sliding window technique. Our findings demonstrate that the Bitcoin blockchain effectively facilitates transactions among the five cryptocurrencies, though evidence suggests a potential structural change in Bitcoin blockchain interoperability following April 2023.

IntroductionGoose astrovirus (GAstV) is a newly emerging pathogen that is currently widespread among geese, causing visceral gout and leading to substantial gosling mortalities, posing a severe threat to the waterfowl industry. GAstV II is the predominant epidemic strain, characterized by its high morbidity and mortality rate. Consequently, there is an urgent necessity to develop an effective diagnostic approach to control the dissemination of GAstV II, particularly in clinical farms with limited laboratory resources.MethodsIn this study, a novel multi-enzyme isothermal rapid amplification (MIRA) and lateral flow dipstick (LFD) combined assay was developed. Different primers designed specific targeting a highly conserved region within the viral RdRp gene for the detection of GAstV II. Primers optimized and MIRA-LFD assay analyzed its performance regarding limits of detection, specificity, and efficiency of detection.ResultsThe developed MIRA amplification is conducted at a constant temperature and accomplished within 10 minutes. Subsequent naked-eye observation of the LFD strips merely takes 5 minutes. The established MIRA-LFD method exhibits high specificity, with no cross-reaction with other pathogens and attains a detection sensitivity of 1 copy/μl, which is consistent with the reverse transcription quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) assay. Further evaluation with clinical samples indicates that the accuracy of this MIRA-LFD method correlates well with RT-qPCR for the detection of GAstV II. ConclusionIn summary, the convenience, sensitivity, and rapidity of this newly developed detection method offer a significant advantage for on-site diagnosis of GAstV II.

Cultivation affects soil organic matter and its fractions. Fulvic acid (FA) and humic acid (HA) make up an important part of soil organic matter, and their binding capacity influences heavy metal behaviour in soil. This research studied changes in soil organic components and the distribution of copper (Cu), lead (Pb), and zinc (Zn) in HA and FA affected by long-term cultivation in black soils. Uncultivated sites and their adjacent cultivated sites (18, 50, and >200 years) were selected. Alkaline sodium hydroxide/pyrophosphate extraction of humic substances and precipitation of HA by acidification were used to separate the HA and FA fractions. Concentrations of Cu, Pb, and Zn in HA and FA were determined. The content of soil organic carbon (C) had decreased by 30% after 200 years of cultivation. Cultivation led to a moderate decrease (38%) in HA and a minor decrease (7%) in FA. The [C.sub.HA]/[C.sub.FA] ratio, which is a humification parameter, decreased from 2.05 in the uncultivated soil to 1.38 in the soil cultivated for 200 years, indicating a lower degree of humification of organic matter in cultivated soils. Of the [Na.sub.4][P.sub.2][O.sub.7] + NaOH-extracted Pb and Zn, 47-60% and 63-76%, respectively, was associated with FA, showing that FA has a high affinity for Pb and Zn. Of the [Na.sub.4][P.sub.2][O.sub.7] + NaOH-extracted Cu, 55% was in the HA fraction. The share of Cu and Zn in the HA fraction decreased with cultivation time, but cultivation did not bring about a systematic change in Pb distribution in humic substances. The results show that cultivation can decrease the humified C content and metals bound to the HA fraction, and suggest that cultivation may potentially increase the mobility of heavy metals. Additional keywords: cultivation, heavy metals, humic acid, fulvic acid, metal distribution., Introduction Cultivation affects not only soil structure but also organic substances (Poeplau et al. 2011). Traditional agricultural practices such as land clearing and ploughing have led to reduced soil organic [...]

进入大数据时代后，互联网应用和信息服务全面普及，大量的个人敏感生物信息被收集整理，导致隐私泄露风险增加；事件相机作为新型的生物启发式传感器，具有低延迟、高动态、无纹理等特性，可为解决数据端隐私保护问题提供全新的技术途径，也因其光敏工作原理而适用于家庭监控等私人场景。本文从大数据时代的隐私泄露问题、事件相机在隐私保护中的优势两方面，深入分析了事件相机用于隐私保护的研究背景；系统梳理了基于人脸模板的隐私保护、基于去识别的隐私保护、基于点云混沌加密的隐私保护等传统的敏感生物信息隐私保护方法，包括行人重识别、手势识别、面部分析在内的面向隐私保护的事件感知方法以及两大类方法的研究进展。进一步总结了强度图像重建、图像修复、视频重建等基于事件流的图像重建与修复新进展，完成了基于6 种算法的图像重建及其结果分析，证明已有重建算法对纹理信息的恢复能力有限，反向验证了基于事件相机的隐私保护技术可行性。针对事件相机未来的规模化应用，提出了降低硬件成本、改进算法网络、从市场角度推动等发展建议，以期为事件相机的隐私保护深化应用提供基础参考。

Collaborative intelligence formed via information and behavioral interactions of multiple autonomous systems is an inevitable trend of future intelligent systems. It is a focus of planning of the next-generation artificial intelligence in China and is crucial for supporting national security and strengthening the manufacturing industry. Research aimed at overcoming bottlenecks regarding collaborative multiple autonomous systems will significantly aid the advancement of intelligent industries and accelerate industrial transformation and upgrading in China. Focusing on the challenge that collaborative multiple autonomous systems cannot adapt to complex tasks, this study thoroughly analyzes the research status and major bottlenecks of collaborative multiple autonomous systems from the aspects of fundamental research and engineering. Using multi-robot collaborative intelligent manufacturing as an example, we provide an in-depth analysis of relevant theoretic and technical problems. Our research indicates that collaborative multiple autonomous systems will inevitably evolve toward human ‒ machine teaming. To master this opportunity, it is critical to proactively lay the groundwork for the theoretical exploration and technological breakthroughs of human‒machine teaming and to conduct exemplary applications.

Exploding foil initiator (EFI) is a kind of advanced device for initiating explosives, but its function is unstable when it comes to directly igniting pyrotechnics. To solve the problem, this research aims to reveal the ignition mechanism of EFIs directly igniting pyrotechnics. An oscilloscope, a photon Doppler velocimetry, and a plasma spectrum measurement system were employed to obtain information of electric characteristics, impact pressure, and plasma temperature. The results of the electric characteristics and the impact pressure were inconsistent with ignition results. The only thing that the ignition success tests had in common was that their plasma all had a relatively long period of high-temperature duration (HTD). It eventually concludes that the ignition mechanism in this research is the micro-convection heat transfer rather than the shock initiation, which differs from that of exploding foil initiators detonating explosives. Furthermore, the methods for evaluating the ignition success of semiconductor bridge initiators are not entirely applicable to the tests mentioned in this paper. The HTD is the critical parameter for judging the ignition success, and it is influenced by two factors: the late time discharge and the energy of the electric explosion. The longer time of the late time discharge and the more energy of the electric explosion, the easier it is to expand the HTD, which improves the probability of the ignition success.

The purpose of this study was to assess the factors affecting caudal screw loosening after spinopelvic fixation for adult patients with spinal deformity. This meta-analysis calculated the weighted mean difference (WMD) and odds ratio (OR) using Review Manager ver. 5.3 (RevMan; Cochrane, London, UK). The loosening group was older than the control group (WMD, 2.17; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.48–3.87; p=0.01). The S2 alar-iliac (S2AI) could prevent the caudal screw from loosening (OR, 0.43; 95% CI, 0.20–0.94; p=0.03). However, gender distribution (p=0.36), the number of fusion segments (p=0.24), rod breakage (p=0.97), T-score (p=0.10), and proximal junctional kyphosis (p=0.75) demonstrated no difference. Preoperatively, only pelvic incidence (PI) in the loosening group was higher (WMD, 5.08; 95% CI, 2.71–7.45; p

Accurately estimating global soil heterotrophic respiration (RH) is crucial in evaluating whether terrestrial ecosystems act as carbon sources or sinks. However, current global RH estimates were significantly restricted by the scarcity of in situ RH observations and their biased distribution, leading to considerable uncertainties. This study developed a novel data-driven model of global RH based on the environmentally similar zones of global in situ RH sites with daily and subdaily observations and remote sensing data with high spatial and temporal resolutions. Compared with the unified modeling method using all available data as the training samples of data-driven models, our zone modeling method was more accurate. The relationship between observed and predicted RH was improved, with the R2 value increasing from 0.41 to 0.53 and the RMSE decreasing from 0.87 to 0.78 g C m−2 d−1. Our study effectively improved the problem that the data-driven models were highly affected by the spatial representativeness of in situ RH observations and achieved a significantly improved accuracy for global RH estimation entirely based on remote sensing data. Future research focusing on improving the sparse sampling of in situ RH sites and the availability of remote sensing data will help to reduce the uncertainties of our study.

Multiple scattering of laser ray leads to distance calculation error and accumulated intensity error in LiDAR waveform. This study quantitatively assesses multiple scattering in LiDAR canopy waveform and explores its relationship with sensor configurations, forest structure, and leaf biochemistry. Airborne LiDAR measurements were conducted to verify the presence of multiple scattering in spaceborne LiDAR waveforms. A Monte Carlo-based radiative transfer model, DART, was applied to simulate laser multiple scattering. The simulated results were compared with the actual measurements and further revealed how forest characteristics and sensor parameters influence multiple scattering. Results show that multiple scattering contributes significantly (∼30% of canopy subwaveform and ∼18% of total waveform) when there are sufficient scatterers in a large LiDAR footprint, and the scatterers possess a reasonable spatial distribution and a strong albedo at the laser wavelength; contribution of multiple scattering is typically less than 5% for small-footprint LiDAR; multiple scattering of large-footprint LiDAR increases with forest leaf area index and fractional coverage, while also varying with laser pointing angle, crown shape, and leaf angle distribution; leaf biochemical contents affect multiple scattering only at their sensitive wavelength. These findings help to quantitatively explain errors in the simulation, validation, and interpretation of LiDAR signal.

Cold exposure has been suggested to be advantageous for the spread and infection of the coronavirus, and the gut microbiota influences the severity of the infection by modulating host inflammatory and immune responses. However, it remains unclear whether the promotion of viral infection through cold exposure is linked to the gut microbiota.

The quality of nighttime light (NTL) data is an important factor affecting the estimation of gross domestic product (GDP), but most studies do not use the latest NPP/VIIRS V2 annual composite product, and there is a lack of China’s GDP estimation products in recent years. To address this problem, this paper studies the NPP/VIIRS remote sensing estimation method for the GDP in mainland China from 2013 to 2023. First, the remote sensing data are preprocessed, and the noise masking method is used to remove outliers. The total amount of NTL, average NTL value, and comprehensive NTL index data are extracted. Combined with the GDP data from the Statistical Yearbook, a fitting model of the GDP and NTL index is constructed. The differences between different GDP estimation models are compared and analyzed, and the optimal model is selected as the estimation model. In addition, through the optimal fitting model, GDP spatial estimation products from 2013 to 2023 are produced. Moreover, the spatiotemporal variation characteristics of the GDP in mainland China are analyzed, with a focus on the spatiotemporal variation of GDP decline regions and the changes in the GDP rankings of provinces and cities. The main conclusions include the following: (1) In the time regression analysis, the linear model MNL has a strong correlation with the GDP, with an R2 of 0.972. This model is selected as the optimal fitting model to calculate the spatial data of the GDP. (2) The spatial distribution of the GDP in mainland China is high in the east and low in the west, and it shows a characteristic of extending from the provincial capital to the surrounding cities. The connectivity between adjacent high-GDP areas continues to increase. (3) From 2013 to 2023, the GDP in most parts of China showed an upward trend, with 98.56% of pixels growing and only 0.99% of pixels declining. The declining pixels are mainly distributed in heavy industrial cities supported by fossil fuel resources, such as Ordos, Daqing, Aksu, etc. (4) Compared with statistical data, the overall difference of the GDP estimated by NTL data is not large, and the relative error is between 0.04% and 1.95%. From the perspective of the GDP ranking of each province, the ranking of most provinces is not much different, fluctuating between ±2. A small number of provinces have large ranking differences due to reasons such as dominant industries and power supply. By spatializing the GDP data of mainland China in the past 11 years, the spatiotemporal changes of the GDP within mainland China were analyzed. The research results can provide support for government economic decisions such as urban development.

Artificial active matters on a macroscopic scale, including vibrating particles, robots, and camphor boats, have attracted increasing attentions due to their uniform properties, rich and easily controllable parameters, convenient observation, and the independence of biochemical processes from physical processes, especially providing these unique advantages for researching the collective behaviors under strong confinement and crowded surroundings. In this review, we present an overview of motion models, mechanisms, and dynamic characteristics of various active particles, both in free and complex media. Additionally, we delve into the collective behaviors of "dry'' active matter, covering structural and dynamic properties observed in experiments and theoretical models. We summarize the impact of hydrodynamic interactions on the dynamics and structures of these active particles within hydrodynamic environments. Lastly, we discuss emerging opportunities and challenges for future advancement of macroscopic artificial active matter.

ObjectiveTo systematically review studies on the correlation between sleep duration during pregnancy and gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and use meta-analysis to explore the correlation between the two to provide a basis for preventing GDM during pregnancy.MethodsThe search databases were China Knowledge Network (CNKI), Weipu, Wanfang, China Biomedical Literature Service System (SinoMed), Cochrane Library, Web of Science, Embase, and PubMed, and the search time was from the establishment of the above databases to July 2023. The data were statistically analyzed using STATA/MP17 and RevMan 5.3 software. Publication bias could be accurately assessed using funnel plots and Egger’s test.ResultsA total of 5,197 papers were searched, and 13 studies were finally included, which included 80,259 individuals, including 3,461 patients with GDM. The comprehensive analysis showed that. Based on pooled data from prospective, cross-sectional, and case–control studies, extreme sleep duration during pregnancy was strongly associated with GDM compared with average sleep duration. The results of the prospective studies showed that both short (OR = 1.50, 95% CI: 1.07–2.10, I2 = 60.9%, p = 0.02) and long (OR = 1.28, 95% CI: 1.13–1.46, I2 = 0.0%, p

Lettuce (Lactuca sativa) germination is sensitive to environmental conditions. Recently, hydrogel has received increased attention as an alternative media to soil for seed germination. Compared to soil seeding, hydrogel-aided germination provides more controlled seeding environments. However, there are still challenges preventing hydrogel-aided seed germination from being widely used in industry production or academic studies, such as hydrogel formulation variations, seeding operation standardization, and germination evaluation. In this study, we tested how the combination of multiple environmental conditions affect lettuce seed germination time, which is measured as the time needed for the first pair of leaves to appear (leaf emergence) or, alternatively, the third leaf to appear (leaf development). We found that germination time and success rate of two lettuce varieties (Iceberg A and Butter Crunch) showed different sensitivities to pH, Hoagland formulations and concentrations, light intensity, and hydrogel content. We have conducted statistical analysis on the correlation between germination time and these environmental conditions.