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This study evaluated the clinical value of color Doppler ultrasound-guided percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL) in avoiding bleeding caused by punctured blood vessels. Herein, we retrospectively included patients who underwent color Doppler ultrasound-guided PCNL or PCNL using the conventional channel technique from August 2018 to August 2022. The clinical characteristics of patients during surgery, complications, and hospital stay were recorded and compared. Overall, 228 patients were enrolled, with 126 patients (age, 47.6 ± 13.2 years; men: 57.14%) in the color Doppler ultrasound-guided PCNL group and 102 patients (age, 46.6 ± 12.3 years) in the B-mode ultrasound-guided puncture group. The total operation time (63.5 ± 15.5 vs. 61.3 ± 16.3 min, p = .5236) and stone clearance rate (86.50% vs. 83.33%, p = .7139) were similar between the two groups. However, the puncture time for the color Doppler ultrasound-guided PCNL group was longer than that for the B-mode ultrasound-guided puncture group (5.1 ± 2.3 vs. 2.6 ± 1.6 min, p = .0019). Moreover, the length of postoperative hospital stay in the color Doppler ultrasound-guided PCNL group reduced significantly by ∼1 day compared with that in the B-mode ultrasound-guided puncture group (4.5 ± 1.6 vs. 5.6 ± 2.1 days, p = .0087). The blood transfusion rate (1.58% vs. 4.9%, p = .0399), sedation-related adverse event rate (0.79% vs. 2.9%, p = .0332), perineal hematoma incidence (0% vs. 2.94%, p

ABSTRACT: As a complex food, meat displays various biochemical properties that are determined to a great extent by physical architecture and lipid metabolites. Pekin duck and Liancheng white duck are elite breeds with distinct characteristics. Here, we explored the development of the muscle fibers from embryonic stage to 10-wk after birth, and muscle fibers grow slowly after 8-wk. We investigated the meat quality, ultrastructure, lipidomics profiling, and lipids spatial distribution of skeletal muscle at 8 wk. Pekin duck has lower Warner-Bratzler shear force (WBSF) (P < 0.05), high intramuscular fat (IMF) (P < 0.01), longer and wider sarcomere, and higher mitochondrial density (P < 0.001). Liancheng white duck with tighter collagen architecture. A total of 950 lipids from 6 lipid classes identified with lipidomics were analyzed, the levels of GP, GL, and PR were significantly higher in Pekin duck (P < 0.05), SL and ST were significantly higher in Liancheng white duck (P < 0.05). There were 333 significantly different lipids (|log2(Fold Change)| ≥ 1 and FDR < 0.05) screened, most lipids distributed in the muscle tissue were uniform, but some specifically distributed in connective tissue. To some extent, the results demonstrate the high lipid deposition capacity of Pekin duck and the high medicinal function of Liancheng white duck. Our study provides new insights into the relationship between skeletal muscle architecture and meat toughness, which increased the knowledge of lipidomic characteristics and provide a basis for duck meat authentication.

Improving visible imagery of clouds, especially at night, is of great importance for weather forecasting and warning. This study considered full-disc data obtained by the FengYun-4B satellite with the Advanced Geostationary Radiation Imager (AGRI) as an example, and adopted a deep neural network model to simulate the full-disc visible image using observed dynamic infrared data and surface background data to compensate for missing visible image data at night. The generated daytime visible image had the same characteristics as a corresponding GeoColor image, with an R2 value of 0.99. The simulated night-time visible light, especially in the visualization of low cloud, clearly displayed and highlighted the characteristics of low cloud and fog, and could play an important role in application to near real-time weather forecasting at night. The simulation method could also be applied to the FY-3D/MERSI and Himawari-9/AHI satellite systems and to other infrared bands, similar to the FY-4B/AGRI system.

Abstract Start-gain mutations can introduce novel start codons and generate novel coding sequences that may affect the function of genes. In this study, we systematically investigated the novel start codons that were either polymorphic or fixed in the human genomes. 829 polymorphic start-gain SNVs were identified in the human populations, and the novel start codons introduced by these SNVs have significantly higher activity in translation initiation. Some of these start-gain SNVs were reported to be associated with phenotypes and diseases in previous studies. By comparative genomic analysis, we found 26 human-specific start codons that were fixed after the divergence between the human and chimpanzee, and high-level translation initiation activity was observed on them. The negative selection signal was detected in the novel coding sequences introduced by these human-specific start codons, indicating the important function of these novel coding sequences.

Abstract Background The Mg–Al-lactate layered double hydroxide nanosheet (LDH-NS) has shown great potential as an optimal nanocarrier for extensive use in plants. However, previous studies in plant sciences have not provided a clear description of the application for the LDH-NSs-based double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) delivery (LDH-dsRNA) system in different tissues of both model and non-model species. Results LDH-NSs were synthesized by using the co-precipitation method, while the dsRNAs targeting genes of interest were prepared in vitro using T7 RNA polymerase. The LDH-dsRNA bioconjugates with a neutral charge were produced by incubating with the mass ratio of LDH-NSs to dsRNA at 3:1, which were then introduced into intact plant cells using three different approaches, including injection, spray, and soak. The LDH-dsRNA delivery method was optimized by inhibiting the expression of the Arabidopsis thaliana ACTIN2 gene. As a result, soaking A. thaliana seedlings in a medium containing LDH-dsRNA for 30 min led to the silencing of 80% of the target genes. The stability and effectiveness of the LDH-dsRNA system were further confirmed by the high-efficiency knockdown of plant tissue-specific genes, including that encoding phytoene desaturase (PDS), WUSCHEL (WUS), WUSCHEL-related homeobox 5 (WOX5), and ROOT HAIR DEFECTIVE 6 (RHD6). In addition, the LDH-dsRNA system was employed in cassava, where it was found that the expression of the gene encoding nucleotide-binding site and leucine-rich repeat (NBS-LRR) was significantly reduced. As a result, the resistance of cassava leaves to pathogens was weakened. Noteworthy, the injection of LDH-dsRNA into leaves resulted in a significant downregulation of target genes in both stems and flowers, indicating the successful transport of LDH-dsRNA from leaves to other parts of plants. Conclusions LDH-NSs have proven to be a highly effective molecular tool for delivering dsRNA into intact plant cells, enabling accurate control of target gene expression.

This paper proposes a methodology to construct logs of rock strength from the cutting force signal recorded in scratch tests conducted in the ductile regime. The approach, which is based on the application of discrete wavelet transforms, recognizes the existence of two length scales ℓc and ℓr. The strength length scale ℓc represents the length over which it is meaningful to measure strength, while the repeatability length scale ℓr is related to the resolution at which the force signal must be observed to become insensitive to the stochastic micro-failure events triggered by the motion of the cutter. It is postulated that the original cutting force signal, assumed to be sampled at a high enough frequency, can be decomposed into a deterministic signal intrinsic to the rock and a stochastic one resulting from discrete rock failure events. The technique of multiresolution analysis based on the maximal overlap discrete wavelet transform is applied as a low-pass filter to the original cutting force signals so as to wipe out the high-frequency components associated with the stochastic rock failure events. A criterion to determine the optimum cutoff frequency of the low-pass filter and the corresponding repeatability length scale is discussed in terms of the correlation coefficients between different filtered signals. It is shown that the low-pass filtered signals obtained at the optimum cutoff frequency have two salient features: (i) repeatability over different tests conducted at the same depth of cut on the same sample, and (ii) variability along the cutting distance. The excellent repeatability reveals that the deterministic background trend of the original force signals is relevant to the rock strength property, and the variability of the background trend captures the spatial variation of the rock strength.

Superficial myofibroblastoma is a rare benign mesenchymal tumor that presents a challenge in accurate preoperative diagnosis because of its overlapping radiological and histological features. A 27-year-old woman presented with a history of increasing abdominal girth over the prior year and pelvic mass for 1 month. Imaging confirmed the presence of a giant well-circumscribed cystic-solid tumor involving both the extraperitoneal pelvis and vagina. After exploration and excision, superficial vaginal myofibroblastoma was diagnosed pathologically. The patient underwent surgical excision and had no postoperative complications at the 1-month follow-up. Imaging features and clinical reasoning can aid in differentiating superficial myofibroblastoma from more aggressive entities or malignant tumors and guide suitable and appropriate surgical approaches.

Abstract. Background:. Sarcopenia is an age-related progressive skeletal muscle disorder involving the loss of muscle mass or strength and physiological function. Efficient and precise AI algorithms may play a significant role in the diagnosis of sarcopenia. In this study, we aimed to develop a machine learning model for sarcopenia diagnosis using clinical characteristics and laboratory indicators of aging cohorts. Methods:. We developed models of sarcopenia using the baseline data from the West China Health and Aging Trend (WCHAT) study. For external validation, we used the Xiamen Aging Trend (XMAT) cohort. We compared the support vector machine (SVM), random forest (RF), eXtreme Gradient Boosting (XGB), and Wide and Deep (W&D) models. The area under the receiver operating curve (AUC) and accuracy (ACC) were used to evaluate the diagnostic efficiency of the models. Results:. The WCHAT cohort, which included a total of 4057 participants for the training and testing datasets, and the XMAT cohort, which consisted of 553 participants for the external validation dataset, were enrolled in this study. Among the four models, W&D had the best performance (AUC = 0.916 ± 0.006, ACC = 0.882 ± 0.006), followed by SVM (AUC =0.907 ± 0.004, ACC = 0.877 ± 0.006), XGB (AUC = 0.877 ± 0.005, ACC = 0.868 ± 0.005), and RF (AUC = 0.843 ± 0.031, ACC = 0.836 ± 0.024) in the training dataset. Meanwhile, in the testing dataset, the diagnostic efficiency of the models from large to small was W&D (AUC = 0.881, ACC = 0.862), XGB (AUC = 0.858, ACC = 0.861), RF (AUC = 0.843, ACC = 0.836), and SVM (AUC = 0.829, ACC = 0.857). In the external validation dataset, the performance of W&D (AUC = 0.970, ACC = 0.911) was the best among the four models, followed by RF (AUC = 0.830, ACC = 0.769), SVM (AUC = 0.766, ACC = 0.738), and XGB (AUC = 0.722, ACC = 0.749). Conclusions:. The W&D model not only had excellent diagnostic performance for sarcopenia but also showed good economic efficiency and timeliness. It could be widely used in primary health care institutions or developing areas with an aging population. Trial Registration:. Chictr.org, ChiCTR 1800018895.

Abstract Quantum simulation enables study of many-body systems in non-equilibrium by mapping to a controllable quantum system, providing a powerful tool for computational intractable problems. Here, using a programmable quantum processor with a chain of 10 superconducting qubits interacted through tunable couplers, we simulate the one-dimensional generalized Aubry-André-Harper model for three different phases, i.e., extended, localized and critical phases. The properties of phase transitions and many-body dynamics are studied in the presence of quasi-periodic modulations for both off-diagonal hopping coefficients and on-site potentials of the model controlled respectively by adjusting strength of couplings and qubit frequencies. We observe the spin transport for initial single- and multi-excitation states in different phases, and characterize phase transitions by experimentally measuring dynamics of participation entropies. Our experimental results demonstrate that the recently developed tunable coupling architecture of superconducting processor extends greatly the simulation realms for a wide variety of Hamiltonians, and can be used to study various quantum and topological phenomena.

Abstract Objective Repair or replacement remains debatable in rheumatic heart disease. To regain optimal mean transvalvular pressure gradients and end-diastolic peak flow velocity, the modified release technique combined peeling in the anterior leaflet and separated the shortened chordal. In the end, the short and mid-term outcomes of the modified release technique were evaluated. Methods We retrospectively analyzed a series of 128 patients with rheumatic mitral stenosis, from January 2018 to July 2021 in our center. All patients undergoing mitral valve repair were using the modified release technique. The effect of mitral valve repair was evaluated by intraoperative transesophageal echocardiography and postoperative transthoracic echocardiography. Results All the 128 patients successfully repaired the mitral valve. The intraoperative transesophageal echocardiography showed trivial or mild regurgitation. The aortic valve was repaired without obvious regurgitation in 12 cases, 5 cases received an aortic valve replacement, 89 cases underwent tricuspid annuloplasty. There were no blood transfusions in most patients, no deaths nor complications during peri-operation, also, no deaths and adverse events were observed during the follow-up period from 3 to 42 months. During the follow-up, 122 cases had no mitral valve regurgitation and 2 cases of moderate regurgitation, 4 cases of mild to moderate regurgitation. The mean peak flow velocity was 1.2 ± 0.3 m / s, no new-onset stenosis occurred. Conclusion Modified release technique is safe and feasible. Its durability is acceptable in the short and mid-term, with no new-onset stenosis during the follow-up.

Abstract Compared with acceleration-based modal analysis, displacement can provide a more reliable and robust identification result for output-only modal analysis of long-span bridges. However, the estimated displacements from acceleration records are frequently unavailable due to unrealistic drifts. Aiming at obtaining more accurate and stable results for determining the modal parameters, this study develops a multi-rate weighted data fusion approach for estimating displacement responses in dynamic monitoring of structures based on global navigation satellite system (GNSS) and acceleration measurements. The approach initially derives the local estimations from displacement and acceleration sensors via a Kalman filter algorithm with colored measurement noise, and later uses a weighted fusion criterion of scalar linear minimum variance to fuse the results of local estimations. Then, structural modal pamameters are identified by employing data-driven stochastic subspace identification (SSI) algorithm. The proposed approach is validated in a four degree-of-freedom numerical model and then applied to a long-span bridge in engineering practice. The results illustrate that the proposed approach can reduce the error of GNSS-obtained displacement and expand recognizable frequency range by introducing dynamic displacement component from acceleration measurement.

Abstract Differential interference contrast (DIC) microscopy allows high-contrast, low-phototoxicity, and label-free imaging of transparent biological objects, and has been applied in the field of cellular morphology, cell segmentation, particle tracking, optical measurement and others. Commercial DIC microscopy based on Nomarski or Wollaston prism resorts to the interference of two polarized waves with a lateral differential offset (shear) and axial phase shift (bias). However, the shear generated by these prisms is limited to the rectilinear direction, unfortunately resulting in anisotropic contrast imaging. Here we propose an ultracompact metasurface-assisted isotropic DIC (i-DIC) microscopy based on a grand original pattern of radial shear interferometry, that converts the rectilinear shear into rotationally symmetric along radial direction, enabling single-shot isotropic imaging capabilities. The i-DIC presents a complementary fusion of typical meta-optics, traditional microscopes and integrated optical system, and showcases the promising and synergetic advancements in edge detection, particle motion tracking, and label-free cellular imaging.

Abstract The transformation from non‐small‐cell lung cancer (NSCLC) to small‐cell lung cancer (SCLC) is one of the mechanisms of epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitors (EGFR‐TKIs) resistance. Previous studies exhibited that the median transformation time was 17.8 months for NSCLC to SCLC. Here we introduced a case of lung adenocarcinoma (LADC) with EGFR19 exon deletion mutation in which the pathological transformation emerged only 1 month after lung cancer surgery and receiving EGFR‐TKI inhibitor. Eventually, the pathological examination confirmed the patient experienced a transformation from LADC to SCLC with EGFR, tumor protein p53 (TP53), RB transcriptional corepressor 1 (RB1), and SRY‐box transcription factor 2 (SOX2) mutation. Although the transformation of LADC with EGFR‐mutant into SCLC after targeted therapy was frequent, the pathological results of most patients were only biopsy specimens, which cannot rule out the existence of mixed pathological components of the primary tumor. In this case, the patient's postoperative pathology was sufficient to exclude the probability of mixed tumor components, confirming that the patient's pathological change was indeed transformation from LADC to SCLC. In addition, primary drug resistance in such a short time after surgery and osimertinib‐targeted therapy has not been reported before. We detected the molecular state of this patient before and after SCLC transformation through targeted gene capture and high‐throughput sequencing, and also found for the first time that the mutations of EGFR, TP53, RB1, and SOX2 continue to exist before and after transformation, but the mutation abundance is different. In our paper, the occurrence of small‐cell transformation is affected largely by these gene mutations.

As users put forward more stringent quality of service requirements for the network, operators focus on the intelligent transformation and construction of various networks.Firstly, the current situation of software defined network (SDN) transformation and construction of various professional networks in the industry were briefly introduced, and then the problems existing in the transformation process were analyzed.Then, the scheme of SDN intelligent management and control orchestration system were proposed to meet users’ requirements for end-to-end service provisioning of cross professional services, and realize intelligent analysis of resource data at the network level to improve operation and maintenance efficiency.Finally, the service provisioning process of private line service and real-time alarming process and practice under the proposed architecture were introduced.

Tin-based alloy solder joints are an indispensable key part of electronic products and the basis of realizing the functionalization of electronic components. The failure of an electronic product is often caused by solder joint damage. Life prediction of the solder joint is of great significance for the reliability research of electronic products. The intermetallic compound (IMC) thickness is an important parameter to evaluate the quality of solder joints. This study takes the thickness of the IMC layer and the assembly solder joints of the 62Sn36Pb2Ag QFP device as the key performance degradation parameter and the research object, respectively. After the reflowing process, Cu6Sn5 and Cu3Sn IMC phases were observed at the copper lead side, and the (CuxNi1-x)6Sn5 phase was observed at the PCB side. The evolution of interfacial microstructures was observed by a scanning electron microscope (SEM). The thickness of the IMC layer after storage at 94, 120, and 150 °C for different periods (1, 4, 9, 16, 25, 36, 49 days) was monitored. The growth process of the IMC is controlled by diffusion. As the storage time increases, the thickness of the IMC layer gradually increases. The growth rate of the IMC layer increases with the increase of the storage temperature because of the higher diffusion coefficient. Based on the Arrhenius equation, the growth kinetics model of the IMC with a bilateral interface is established. The failure density function is obtained by fitting the initial IMC thickness with a normal distribution, and the reliability function is then obtained to predict the long-term storage failure life of QFP assembly solder joints. Finally, this work calculates the median life and characteristic life of QFP assembly solder joints to be 16092 years and 17471 years, respectively. These results are expected to provide a new way to predict the life of solder joints stored for a long time and provide experimental and data support for the reliable application of the 62Sn36Pb2Ag solder.

Objective To analyze the risk factors for intraoperative massive red blood cell (RBC) transfusion in patients with Stanford type A aortic dissection (TAAD), in order to develop a risk-prediction model and validate its predictive effect. Methods The clinical data of 233 patients with TAAD admitted to our hospital from July 2018 to June 2021 (modeling set) were retrospectively analyzed. They were divided into routine transfusion group (n=128, RBC≤8 U) and massive transfusion group (n=105, RBC>8 U). Risk factors for intraoperative massive RBC transfusion in TAAD patients were analyzed by multivariate logistic regression and a risk prediction model was developed. Calibration curve and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve were used to assess the accuracy and discrimination of the model. In addition, 61 TAAD patients admitted to our hospital from July 2021 to May 2022 (validation set) were used for external validation. Results The rate of intraoperative massive RBC transfusion in 233 TAAD patients was 45.06% (95% CI: 38.59%-51.69%). Logistic analysis showed that women, age >50 years, preoperative Hb≤131.50 g/L, intraoperative bleeding >720 mL, and CPB time >155 min were independent risk factors for massive intraoperative RBC transfusion (P

Addressing the issues of low harvesting efficiency and high losses in current pod pepper harvesters, this study presents the design of a bionic comb finger pod pepper picking device and an inclined double-spiral bell pepper harvester to improve the harvest rate and reduce loss rate. Through the utilization of discrete element simulation software EDEM, a discrete element model for pod peppers is established. Additionally, a simulation platform for ground drop loss during pod pepper picking is developed, enabling exploration of the movement trajectory and velocity changes of the pod pepper elements. The study also conducts an analysis on the impact of the speed of the picking rollers X1, the feeding speed of pod peppers X2, and the spacing between the two picking rollers X3 on ground drop losses. Based on the results of the single-factor test, the Box–Behnken response surface test was used to optimize the working parameters of the picking device, which resulted in the optimal combination of the working parameters of the picking device: the speed of the picking rollers was 680.41 rpm, the feeding speed of the pod peppers was 0.5 m/s, and the spacing between the two picking rollers was 12 mm, which resulted in the loss rate of pod peppers on the floor of the ground being 3.526%.

The demand for high-power density motors has been increasing due to their remarkable output capability and compact construction. To achieve a significant improvement in motor power density, lightweight design methods have been recognized as an effective enabler. Therefore, extensive investigations have been conducted to reduce motor mass and achieve lightweight configurations through the exploration of lightweight materials, structures and manufacturing techniques. This article provides a comprehensive review and summary of state-of-the-art lightweight implementation methods for electrical machines, including the utilization of lightweight materials, structural lightweight design, and incorporation of advanced manufacturing technologies, such as additive manufacturing techniques. The advantages and limitations of each approach are also discussed in this paper. Furthermore, some comments and forecasts on potential future methodologies for motor lightweighting are also provided.

Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV), a member of the Arteriviridae family, represents a persistent menace to the global pig industry, causing reproductive failure and respiratory disease in pigs. In this study, we delved into the role of histone deacetylases (HDAC2) during PRRSV infection. Our findings revealed that HDAC2 expression is downregulated upon PRRSV infection. Notably, suppressing HDAC2 activity through specific small interfering RNA led to an increase in virus production, whereas overexpressing HDAC2 effectively inhibited PRRSV replication by boosting the expression of IFN-regulated antiviral molecules. Furthermore, we identified the virus’s nonstructural protein 11 (nsp11) as a key player in reducing HDAC2 levels. Mutagenic analyses of PRRSV nsp11 revealed that its antagonistic effect on the antiviral activity of HDAC2 is dependent on its endonuclease activity. In summary, our research uncovered a novel immune evasion mechanism employed by PRRSV, providing crucial insights into the pathogenesis of this virus and guiding the development of innovative prevention strategies against PRRSV infection.

This research examines the behavior of electrochemical passivation and the chemistry of surface films on 654SMO super austenitic stainless steel and C276 nickel-based alloy in simulated condensates from flue gas desulfurization in power plant chimneys. The findings indicate that the resistance to polarization of the protective film on both materials initially rises and then falls with either time spent in the solution or the potential of anodic polarization. Comparatively, 654SMO exhibits greater polarization resistance than C276, indicating its potential suitability as a chimney lining material. Mott–Schottky analysis demonstrates that the density of donors in the passive film formed on 654SMO exceeds that on C276, potentially due to the abundance of Fe oxide in the passive film, which exhibits the characteristics of an n-type semiconductor. The primary components of the passive films on both materials are Fe oxides and Cr oxides. The formation of a thin passive film on C276 in the simulated condensates is a result of the low Gibbs free energy of nickel oxide and low Cr content. The slower diffusion coefficient of point defects leads to the development of a thicker and more compact passive film on the surface of 654SMO.

During the study of diversity in filamentous cyanobacteria in China, two strains (WZU0719 and WZU0723) with the form of thin filaments were isolated from the surface of Qiandao Lake, a large freshwater lake in Zhejiang Province, China. A comprehensive analysis was conducted, incorporating morphological, ecological, and molecular data. The morphological examination provided an initial identification as a Leptolyngbya-like cyanobacterium. Genetic characterization was also performed by amplifying the 16S rRNA gene and the 16S-23S rRNA internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region. The phylogenetic grouping based on the 16S rRNA gene demonstrates that the examined strain is unequivocally assigned to the Pegethrix genus. However, it possesses distinct phylogenetic divergence from the six described Pegethrix species. Additionally, discrepancies in habitat further differentiate it from other members of this genus. Employing the polyphasic approach, we present a comprehensive account of the newly discovered taxa: Pegethrix qiandaoensis sp. nov. The novel taxonomic finding in this research significantly contributes to enhancing the comprehension of Pegethrix diversity across various habitats.

Auxin plays a crucial role in regulating root growth and development, and its distribution pattern under environmental stimuli significantly influences root plasticity. Under K deficiency, the interaction between K+ transporters and auxin can modulate root development. This study compared the differences in root morphology and physiological mechanisms of the low-K-tolerant maize inbred line 90-21-3 and K-sensitive maize inbred line D937 under K-deficiency (K+ = 0.2 mM) with exogenous NAA (1-naphthaleneacetic acid, NAA = 0.01 mM) treatment. Root systems of 90-21-3 exhibited higher K+ absorption efficiency. Conversely, D937 seedling roots demonstrated greater plasticity and higher K+ content. In-depth analysis through transcriptomics and metabolomics revealed that 90-21-3 and D937 seedling roots showed differential responses to exogenous NAA under K-deficiency. In 90-21-3, upregulation of the expression of K+ absorption and transport-related proteins (proton-exporting ATPase and potassium transporter) and the enrichment of antioxidant-related functional genes were observed. In D937, exogenous NAA promoted the responses of genes related to intercellular ethylene and cation transport to K-deficiency. Differential metabolite enrichment analysis primarily revealed significant enrichment in flavonoid biosynthesis, tryptophan metabolism, and hormone signaling pathways. Integrated transcriptomic and metabolomic analyses revealed that phenylpropanoid biosynthesis is a crucial pathway, with core genes (related to peroxidase enzyme) and core metabolites upregulated in 90-21-3. The findings suggest that under K-deficiency, exogenous NAA induces substantial changes in maize roots, with the phenylpropanoid biosynthesis pathway playing a crucial role in the maize root’s response to exogenous NAA regulation under K-deficiency.

The therapeutic application of biofunctional proteins relies on their intracellular delivery, which is hindered by poor cellular uptake and transport from endosomes to cytoplasm. Herein, we constructed a two-dimensional (2D) ultrathin layered double hydroxide (LDH) nanosheet for the intracellular delivery of a cell-impermeable protein, gelonin, towards efficient and specific cancer treatment. The LDH nanosheet was synthesized via a facile method without using exfoliation agents and showed a high loading capacity of proteins (up to 182%). Using 2D and 3D 4T1 breast cancer cell models, LDH–gelonin demonstrated significantly higher cellular uptake efficiency, favorable endosome escape ability, and deep tumor penetration performance, leading to a higher anticancer efficiency, in comparison to free gelonin. This work provides a promising strategy and a generalized nanoplatform to efficiently deliver biofunctional proteins to unlock their therapeutic potential for cancer treatment.

IntroductionThe TGA transcription factors, plays a crucial role in regulating gene expression. In cultivated peanut (Arachis hypogaea), which faces abiotic stress challenges, understanding the role of TGAs is important.MethodsIn this study, we conducted a comprehensive in analysis of the TGA gene family in peanut to elucidate their regulatory mechanisms and expression patterns under abiotic stress and hormone treatments. Furthermore, functional studies on the representative AhTGA gene in peanut cultivars were conducted using transgenic Arabidopsis and soybean hair roots.ResultsThe genome-wide analysis revealed that a total of 20 AhTGA genes were identified and classified into five subfamilies. Collinearity analysis revealed that AhTGA genes lack tandem duplication, and their amplification in the cultivated peanut genome primarily relies on the whole-genome duplication of the diploid wild peanut to form tetraploid cultivated peanut, as well as segment duplication between the A and B subgenomes. Promoter and Protein-protein interaction analysis identified a wide range of cis-acting elements and potential interacting proteins associated with growth and development, hormones, and stress responses. Expression patterns of AhTGA genes in different tissues, under abiotic stress conditions for low temperature and drought, and in response to hormonal stimuli revealed that seven AhTGA genes from groups I (AhTGA04, AhTGA14 and AhTGA20) and II (AhTGA07, AhTGA11, AhTGA16 and AhTGA18) are involved in the response to abiotic stress and hormonal stimuli. The hormone treatment results indicate that these AhTGA genes primarily respond to the regulation of jasmonic acid and salicylic acid. Overexpressing AhTGA11 in Arabidopsis enhances resistance to cold and drought stress by increasing antioxidant activities and altering endogenous hormone levels, particularly ABA, SA and JA.DiscussionThe AhTGA genes plays a crucial role in hormone regulation and stress response during peanut growth and development. The findings provide insights into peanut's abiotic stress tolerance mechanisms and pave the way for future functional studies.

Summary: Patient-derived xenografts (PDX) remain valuable models for understanding the biology and for developing novel therapeutics. To expand current PDX models of childhood leukemia, we have developed new PDX models from Hispanic patients, a subgroup with a poorer overall outcome. Of 117 primary leukemia samples obtained, successful engraftment and serial passage in mice were achieved in 82 samples (70%). Hispanic patient samples engrafted at a rate (51/73, 70%) that was similar to non-Hispanic patient samples (31/45, 70%). With a new algorithm to remove mouse contamination in multi-omics datasets including methylation data, we found PDX models faithfully reflected somatic mutations, copy-number alterations, RNA expression, gene fusions, whole-genome methylation patterns, and immunophenotypes found in primary tumor (PT) samples in the first 50 reported here. This cohort of characterized PDX childhood leukemias represents a valuable resource in that germline DNA sequencing has allowed the unambiguous determination of somatic mutations in both PT and PDX.

Clinical epidemiological studies have confirmed that tobacco smoking disrupts bone homeostasis and is an independent risk factor for the development of osteoporosis. The low viability and inferior osteogenic differentiation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) are important etiologies of osteoporosis. However, few basic studies have elucidated the specific mechanisms that tobacco toxins devastated BMSCs and consequently induced or exacerbated osteoporosis. Herein, our clinical data showed the bone mineral density (BMD) values of femoral neck in smokers were significantly lower than non-smokers, meanwhile cigarette smoke extract (CSE) exposure led to a significant decrease of BMD in rats and dysfunction of rat BMSCs (rBMSCs). Transcriptomic analysis and phenotype experiments suggested that the ferroptosis pathway was significantly activated in CSE-treated rBMSCs. Accumulated intracellular reactive oxygen species activated AMPK signaling, furtherly promoted NCOA4-mediated ferritin-selective autophagic processes, increased labial iron pool and lipid peroxidation deposition, and ultimately led to ferroptosis in rBMSCs. Importantly, in vivo utilization of ferroptosis and ferritinophagy inhibitors significantly alleviated BMD loss in CSE-exposed rats. Our study innovatively reveals the key mechanism of smoking-related osteoporosis, and provides a possible route targeting on the perspective of BMSC ferroptosis for future prevention and treatment of smoking-related bone homeostasis imbalance.

Sepsis, a life-threatening dysregulated status of the host response to infection, can cause multiorgan dysfunction and mortality. Sepsis places a heavy burden on the cardiovascular system due to the pathological imbalance of hyperinflammation and immune suppression. Myocardial injury and cardiac dysfunction caused by the aberrant host responses to pathogens can lead to cardiomyopathy, one of the most critical complications of sepsis. However, many questions about the specific mechanisms and characteristics of this complication remain to be answered. The causes of sepsis-induced cardiac dysfunction include abnormal cardiac perfusion, myocardial inhibitory substances, autonomic dysfunction, mitochondrial dysfunction, and calcium homeostasis dysregulation. The fight between the host and pathogens acts as the trigger for sepsis-induced cardiomyopathy. Pyroptosis, a form of programmed cell death, plays a critical role in the progress of sepsis. Toll-like receptors (TLRs) act as pattern recognition receptors and participate in innate immune pathways that recognize damage-associated molecular patterns as well as pathogen-associated molecular patterns to mediate pyroptosis. Notably, pyroptosis is tightly associated with cardiac dysfunction in sepsis and septic shock. In line with these observations, induction of TLR-mediated pyroptosis may be a promising therapeutic approach to treat sepsis-induced cardiomyopathy. This review focuses on the potential roles of TLR-mediated pyroptosis in sepsis-induced cardiomyopathy, to shed light on this promising therapeutic approach, thus helping to prevent and control septic shock caused by cardiovascular disorders and improve the prognosis of sepsis patients.

ABSTRACT: Intramuscular fat (IMF) is an important factor affecting chicken quality. However, the age-related mechanism of IMF deposition has not yet been elucidated. In this study, the IMF, phospholipids (PL), triglycerides (TG), and fatty acid (FA) content in the breast muscle of Beijing-You chicken (BJY) at 1, 56, 98, and 120 d of age was measured, and mRNA and miRNA sequencing was integrated to explore the regulatory genes of IMF deposition. The results showed that the IMF content of BJY at 1 d of age was significantly higher than that at later stage of birth (P < 0.05). The transcriptome sequencing results showed that 7, 225 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and 243 differentially expressed miRNAs (DE-miRNAs) were identified. The cluster analysis showed that the expression of DEGs and DE-miRNAs at 1 d of age was significantly different from that at later stages of birth. Furthermore, a potential mRNA-miRNA regulatory network related to IMF deposition was established by weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA); gga-miR-29c-3p-PIK3R1, gga-miR-6701-3p-PTEN, gga-miR-363-3p-PTEN, gga-miR-1563-WWP1, gga-miR-449c/d-5p-TRAF6, and gga-miR-6701-3p-BMPR1B were identified as key mRNA-miRNA pairs for the regulation of IMF deposition. These results will help elucidate the mechanism of IMF formation mediated by miRNAs in chickens, and provide a theoretical foundation for the genetic improvement of broiler meat quality.

Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) affects the production and health of pigs and causes severe economic losses to the swine industry worldwide. Different pig breeds have been reported to have different levels of susceptibility to PRRSV, and different PRRSV strains may also influence the infectivity and pathogenicity of the virus. In this study, the susceptibility of Rongchang pigs (a prominent local pig breed in China) to PRRSV infection was thoroughly investigated. Rongchang piglets were exposed to two PRRSV strains: HuN4 (highly pathogenic PRRSV) and SD53-1603 (moderately virulent NADC30-like PRRSV). We observed that Rongchang pigs infected with HuN4 displayed significant clinical manifestations, including fever, reduced body weight, and interstitial pneumonia lesions. Routine blood tests revealed that HuN4-infected pigs exhibited slightly decreased levels of red blood cells, hemoglobin, reticulocytes, and a notable increase in monocytes than control pigs. Additionally, the Rongchang pigs exhibiting severe clinical signs presented a higher neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio and a lower lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio. In contrast, SD53-1603 infection did not cause considerable harm to Rongchang pigs, only resulting in slightly elevated leukocytes and lymphocytes. Furthermore, these two PRRSV strains elicited divergent cytokine responses, such that SD53-1603 infection induced higher levels of TNF-α and IFN-γ, whereas HuN4 infection upregulated IL-1β. These dissimilarities in clinical symptoms, pathological changes, viremia, cytokine expression, and routine blood indices between HuN4 and SD53-1603 infections are critical in understanding the mechanisms of PRRSV infection and developing rational prevention and control strategies against PRRSV.

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) presents significant challenges to female health owing to the lack of therapeutic targets and its poor prognosis. In recent years, in the field of molecular pathology, there has been a growing focus on the role of intra-tumoral microbial communities and metabolic alterations in tumor cells. However, the precise mechanism through which microbiota and their metabolites influence TNBC remains unclear and warrants further investigation. In this study, we analyzed the microbial community composition in various subtypes of breast cancer through 16S rRNA MiSeq sequencing of formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissue samples. Notably, Turicibacter, a microbe associated with cancer response, exhibited a significantly higher abundance in TNBC. Similarly, mass spectrometry-based metabolomic analysis revealed substantial differences in specific metabolites, such as nutriacholic, pregnanetriol, and cortol. Furthermore, we observed significant correlations between the intra-tumoral microbiome, clinicopathological characteristics, and human epidermal growth factor receptor-2 expression(HER2). Three microbial taxa (Cytophagaceae, Conexibacteraceae, and Flavobacteriaceae) were associated with tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes(TILs), which are indicative of antitumor immunity. This study creatively utilized FFPE tissue samples to assess intra-tumoral microbial communities and their related metabolic correlations, presenting avenues for the identification of novel diagnostic biomarkers, the development of therapeutic strategies, and the early clinical diagnosis of TNBC.

The successful management of lepidopteran moths in orchards usually depends on the precise forecast of adult activity. However, the seasonal phenology of moths varies between crop cultivars and years, making it difficult to schedule the control measures. Here, we monitored male flight activity of oriental fruit moth Grapholita molesta and summer fruit tortrix moth Adoxophyes orana by using sex pheromone traps in peach orchards of three different cultivars for three successive years. We developed a logistic multiple-peaks model to fit data and then calculated degree-days (DD) required for male activity and neonate emergency. Results show that G. molesta and A. orana males had 4–5 and 3 flight peaks per year, respectively. The seasonal phenology of G. molesta or A. orana was quite stable with an identical timing of each flight peak between cultivars in a year. The flight activity was usually higher in the second and third peaks for both moths, with a higher cumulative number of G. molesta males captured than that of A. orana. Compared to A. orana, G. molesta emerged early in spring and required lower degree-days to reach the subsequent flight peaks and for neonate emergency. Our results suggest that to decline the possibility of outbreaks of moths during the growing seasons, pheromone traps should be scheduled in April with a cumulative DD between 49.6 and 207.1 for G. molesta and in mid-May–early June with a cumulative DD between 450.4 and 866.7 for A. orana, aiming to trap the newly emerged male adults or disrupting female mating success of overwintered moths in orchards. Based on the thermal requirement for egg hatching (i.e., 79.4 DD for G. molesta and 90.0 DD for A. orana), insecticide treatments would be applied in late-April–early May and late May–early June to reduce the field population density of neonates of G. molesta and A. orana, respectively, to reduce fruit damage in orchards. Furthermore, pheromone traps set up in late July–early August (573.8–1025.2 DD) for G. molesta and in mid-September (1539.7–1788.9 DD) for A. orana may suppress overwintering populations and thus decrease pest infestation in next year.

Oxygen therapy is common during the neonatal period to improve survival, but it can increase the risk of oxygen toxicity. Hyperoxia can damage multiple organs and systems in newborns, commonly causing lung conditions such as bronchopulmonary dysplasia and pulmonary hypertension, as well as damage to other organs, including the brain, gut, and eyes. These conditions are collectively referred to as newborn oxygen radical disease to indicate the multi-system damage caused by hyperoxia. Hyperoxia can also lead to changes in metabolic pathways and the production of abnormal metabolites through a process called metabolic reprogramming. Currently, some studies have analyzed the mechanism of metabolic reprogramming induced by hyperoxia. The focus has been on mitochondrial oxidative stress, mitochondrial dynamics, and multi-organ interactions, such as the lung–gut, lung–brain, and brain–gut axes. In this article, we provide an overview of the major metabolic pathway changes reported in hyperoxia-associated neonatal diseases and explore the potential mechanisms of metabolic reprogramming. Metabolic reprogramming induced by hyperoxia can cause multi-organ metabolic disorders in newborns, including abnormal glucose, lipid, and amino acid metabolism. Moreover, abnormal metabolites may predict the occurrence of disease, suggesting their potential as therapeutic targets. Although the mechanism of metabolic reprogramming caused by hyperoxia requires further elucidation, mitochondria and the gut–lung–brain axis may play a key role in metabolic reprogramming.

To determine the overload characteristics of the internal system of a fuze that penetrates multilayer hard targets using different fixed-link structures, a finite element model consisting of two fixed-link structures (a compression screw and a body screw) is adopted in this paper to simulate the penetration process of a three-layer concrete target plate with corresponding initial velocities. The peak amplification coefficient and vibration coefficient are used to analyze the time-domain characteristics of the penetration process signal during segmented analysis. The extracted acceleration signals of the projectile and sensor are processed by fast Fourier transform to obtain the frequency spectrum analysis results. The simulation results show that under the same working conditions, the sensor’s ability to amplify the peak acceleration of the projectile is 17.77% higher for the body screw fixed-link structure, and the average vibration coefficient is also 9.55% higher. Compared with that of the body screw fixed-link structure, the performance of the compression screw fixed-link structure is better under different initial velocity conditions. The initial penetration velocity affects mainly the amplitude of each frequency corresponding to the acceleration signals of the two fixed-link fuze structure projectiles and sensors while having a relatively small influence on the frequency distribution position.

Summary: Cytokine storms caused by viruses are associated with elevated cytokine levels and uncontrolled inflammatory responses that can lead to acute respiratory distress syndrome. Current antiviral therapies are not sufficient to prevent or treat these complications. Cyclophilin A (CypA) is a key factor that regulates the production of multiple cytokines and could be a potential therapeutic target for cytokine storms. Here, three proteolysis targeting chimeras (PROTACs) targeting CypA were designed. These PROTACs bind to CypA, enhance its ubiquitination, and promote its degradation in both cell lines and mouse organs. During influenza B virus (IBV) infection, PROTAC-mediated CypA depletion reduces P65 phosphorylation and NF-κB-mediated proinflammatory cytokine production in A549 cells. Moreover, Comp-K targeting CypA suppresses excessive secretion of proinflammatory cytokines in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid, reduces lung injury, and enhances survival rates of IBV-infected mice. Collectively, we provide PROTACs targeting CypA, which are potential candidates for the control of cytokine storms.

Abstract The deprotonation mechanism for the phenolic hydroxyl and the complexing of metal ions with a commonly used food additive, propyl gallate (PG) were studied theoretically and experimentally. The interaction of procyanidins [PC, epicatechin16 (4 → 8) catechin], and its basic monomeric unit catechin (CA) with metal ions was studied by the fluorescence quenching spectra. The results showed that the 9-OH quinoid PG was formed at higher pH (10.9) by the oxidization of phenolic hydroxyl. The binding affinities (K a) and stoichiometry of these metal ions with PG were determined. The Al3+ in PG-Al complex [Al(PG)(H2O)2Cl2]- was coordinated at the 8,9-OH doubly deprotonated catechol site with double chloride ions (Cl-) and double water molecules (H2O). The fluorescence quenching titration with Sn2+, Zn2+, Cu2+, Al3+ and Fe3+ revealed that the stoichiometries of metal-bound PC were 1:1, 2:3, 2:3, 2:3 and 1:1, respectively. The presence of bovine serum albumin (BSA) could enhance the complexing strength of PC with metal ions.

Abstract Background PHGDH (Phosphoglycerate Dehydrogenase) is the first branch enzyme in the serine biosynthetic pathway and plays a vital role in several cancers. However, little is known about the clinical significance of PHGDH in endometrial cancer. Methods Clinicopathological data of endometrial cancer were downloaded from the Cancer Genome Atlas database (TCGA). First, the expression of PHGDH in pan-cancer was investigated, as well as the expression and prognostic value of PHGDH in endometrial cancer. The effect of PHGDH expression on the prognosis of endometrial cancer was analyzed by Kaplan-Meier plotter and Cox regression. The relationship between PHGDH expression and clinical characteristics of endometrial cancer was investigated by logistic regression. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves and nomograms were developed. Possible cellular mechanisms were explored using the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analysis, the Gene Ontology (GO), and gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA). Finally, TIMER and CIBERSORT were used to analyze the relationship between PHGDH expression and immune infiltration. CellMiner™ was used to analyze the drug sensitivity of PHGDH. Results The results showed that PHGDH expression was significantly higher in endometrial cancer tissues than in normal tissues at mRNA and protein levels. Kaplan-Meier survival curves showed that patients in the high expression group had shorter overall survival (OS) and disease free survival (DFS) than patients in the low PHGDH expression group. Multifactorial COX regression analysis further supported that high PHGDH expression was an independent risk factor associated with prognosis in patients with endometrial cancer. The results showed estrogen response, mTOR, K-RAS, and epithelial mesenchymal transition (EMT) were differentially elevated in the high-expression group of the PHGDH group. CIBERSORT analysis showed that PHGDH expression is related to the infiltration of multiple immune cells. When PHGDH is highly expressed, the number of CD8+T cells decreases. Conclusion PHGDH plays a vital role in the development of endometrial cancer, which is related to tumor immune infiltration, and can be used as an independent diagnostic and prognostic marker for endometrial cancer.

Abstract To establish a deep learning (DL) model in differentiating borderline ovarian tumor (BOT) from epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) on conventional MR imaging. We retrospectively enrolled 201 patients of 102 pathologically proven BOTs and 99 EOCs at OB/GYN hospital Fudan University, between January 2015 and December 2017. All imaging data were reviewed on picture archiving and communication systems (PACS) server. Both T1-weighted imaging (T1WI) and T2-weighted imaging (T2WI) MR images were used for lesion area determination. We trained a U-net++ model with deep supervision to segment the lesion area on MR images. Then, the segmented regions were fed into a classification model based on DL network to categorize ovarian masses automatically. For ovarian lesion segmentation, the mean dice similarity coefficient (DSC) of the trained U-net++ model in the testing dataset achieved 0.73 $$\pm$$ ± 0.25, 0.76 $$\pm$$ ± 0.18, and 0.60 $$\pm$$ ± 0.24 in the sagittal T2WI, coronal T2WI, and axial T1WI images, respectively. The DL model by combined T2WI computerized network could differentiate BOT from EOC with a significantly higher AUC of 0.87, an accuracy of 83.7%, a sensitivity of 75.0% and a specificity of 87.5%. In comparison, the AUC yielded by radiologist was only 0.75, with an accuracy of 75.5%, a sensitivity of 96.0% and specificity of 54.2% (P

Abstract Background Recent high-quality trials have shown that the anti-inflammatory effects of colchicine reduce the risk of cardiovascular events in patients suffering post-myocardial infarction and chronic coronary disease. The effect of colchicine in patients undergoing non-coronary artery bypass grafting (non-CABG) with cardiopulmonary bypass remains unclear. We aim to evaluate the effect of colchicine on myocardial protection in patients who underwent non-CABG cardiac surgery. Method Patients were randomly assigned to colchicine or placebo groups starting 72 h before scheduled cardiac surgery and for 5 days thereafter (0.5 mg daily).The primary outcome was the level of cardiac troponin T (cTnT) at postoperative 48 h. The secondary outcomes included troponin I (cTnI) and creatine kinase-MB (CK-MB), inflammatory biomarkers (procalcitonin and interleukin-6, etc.), and adverse events (30-day mortality, stroke, ECMO and IABP use, etc.). Results A total of 132 patients underwent non-CAGB cardiac surgery, 11were excluded because of diarrhea (n = 6) and long aortic cross-clamp time > 2 h (n = 5), 59 were assigned to the colchicine group and 62 to the placebo group. Compared with the placebo group, cTnT (median: 0.3 μg/L, IQR 0.2–0.4 μg/L vs. median: 0.4 μg/L, IQR 0.3–0.6 μg/L, P

This paper presents a novel motor topology, called the End-Winding Flux Machine (EWM), which explores the potential function of end-windings in rotating electric machines. By introducing an axial-radial flux stator into the end-windings, a hybrid flux machine known as the End-Winding Hybrid Flux Machine (EHFM) is created, establishing an additional radial-axial flux circuit alongside the conventional radial-flux machine. The machine characteristics of the EHFM are validated through analytical calculations and transient 3-D finite-element method (FEM). Experimental investigations are conducted on a prototype EHFM, and the tested data is compared with FEM results. The EHFM exhibits enhanced torque performance compared to the benchmark motor within the same input current and armature winding specifications. These findings demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed design and its potential for improving end-wingding utilization and torque performance in electric machines.

The realization of intelligent mining is the only method for realizing high-quality development in the coal industry. As the forefront working link in mine production, achieving automatic roadway tunneling control is key to improving production efficiency, enhancing intelligence, and reducing accident rates at fully mechanized tunneling working faces. Among various detection techniques, machine vision technology stands out with advantages of non-contact measurement, rich information acquisition, and high detection accuracy. The detection and control of tunneling equipment groups based on machine vision has become a research hotspot in the intelligence process of coal mines. This study first introduces the key technologies of a visual detection system, including camera calibration, image preprocessing, feature extraction, visual matching, target segmentation and recognition, visual measurement, and 3D reconstruction. It then elaborates on detection principles, workflows, limitations, precautions, and development status of various vision detection systems in practical application scenarios at tunneling faces, such as tunneling equipments, anchoring systems, transportation systems, and safety auxiliary systems, which significantly improve production safety and efficiency. Finally, considering challenging work conditions and strong interference in mines, the successful adaptation of machine vision to excavation sites relies on addressing technical challenges related to poor environment adaptability, limited imaging field of view, and low intelligence level. Furthermore, according to existing research results and the current technical status, this paper forecasts key technologies that need to be developed in the future for coal mine intelligent equipment systems based on machine vision, including multi-sensor information fusion, equipment group collaborative control, and digital twin-driven remote monitoring.

Despite the robustness and fast dynamic response, direct torque control (DTC) exhibits relatively large ripples in torque and flux during steady-state operation. Mitigating these ripples depends on designing a pulse selector to identify the optimal voltage vector at every control cycle, which has been reported with different structures in the literature. Hence, it is becoming increasingly crucial to comprehensively understand the criteria used in pulse selection and analyze their impact on the overall DTC performance. These are challenging in permanent magnet synchronous motor (PMSM) drives due to the nonlinear torque/current characteristics and spatial harmonics of the magnetic flux. This article exploits the high fidelity and computational efficiency of the finite-element analysis (FEA)-based model to present a performance prediction strategy for DTC of PMSM under different pulse selectors. First, this model is employed to thoroughly analyze the influence of each switching pulse on the torque and flux deviations under changing operating conditions considering the machine's nonlinearities. Then, the pulse selection schemes used in switching-table-based DTC are comparatively evaluated, highlighting the advantages and limitations of each. Based on this evaluation, an advanced pulse selector with a variable-structure switching table (VSST) is developed, reducing torque/flux ripples and simplifying the control implementation while maintaining the fast dynamic response of DTC.

The high-frequency injection (HFI) method is commonly used for sensorless control of synchronous reluctance motors (SynRMs) at low speeds. Injecting a high-frequency (HF) signal in a predefined direction, referred to as the $d$-axis, and further demodulating the excited signal in the $q$-axis are a popular sequence for SynRM position tracking. Injection in the $q$-axis is not usually considered due to its potential to increase torque ripple. This article proposes a generalized HF pulsating voltage injection approach for sensorless control of SynRM. This approach allows for the arbitrary selection of injection strategy and covers the injection and demodulation procedures in $d$- and $q$-axes in detail. Special attention is given to determining the amplitude of the injection voltage, which can extend the usage range of HFI and support sensorless control at high speeds. The effectiveness of the proposed structures is experimentally verified using 15 kW SynRM. During system validation, extra care is taken to investigate the overall system efficiency and vibration levels, including torque ripple issues. This solution contributes to the advancement of sensorless control for SynRM drives.

The stratified sampling is widely used in quality assessment of remote-sensing-derived geospatial data (RSGD). Because of the different stratification indicators (also called the stratification variables) used in stratified sampling, it will lead to different evaluation results. By using fractal theory, this article proposes a stratified sampling method based on fractal (SSF) for quality assessment of RSGD. As a stratification variable, fractal dimension is related to and independent of the study variable in the quality assessment of RSGD. This method can quantitatively and accurately stratify the population, which leads to minimizing the intra-stratum variance, acquiring higher estimation accuracy, and estimation efficiency. The proposed SSF method in this article is transformed into three formulated problems: the quantitative calculation of fractal, the optimal solution of the stratum boundary value, and the configuration of sample sizes. The experiment shows a quantitative performance comparison of SSF, stratified sampling based on class, and sample random sampling using the South Sudan Global Core Vector Database 2020. Design effect and root-mean-square error provide a quantitative assessment of the performance in this study. The experimental results verify the feasibility and applicability of the SSF proposed in this article. It also shows higher estimation accuracy and more economical cost.

Flexible needle has a sufficient pliability, which could steer clear of obstacles and correct the deviated path to achieve deep target insertions. It has a tendency of replacing rigid needles. An insertion robot for the flexible needle is one of the important parts of the robot-assisted surgery system. This paper proposed a novel insertion robot for an FBG (Fiber Bragg Grating) embedded cannula flexible needle and conducted puncture control experiments. The insertion robot consisted of a configuration adjustment mechanism and an insertion mechanism, which was compact and with a high insertion accuracy. The forward and inverse kinematics of the robot were calculated and the workspace was simulated using MATLAB/SIMULINK. The simulation results show that the robot has a workspace in size of about 200mm by 110mm by 140mm, which completely covers the required position and posture for the prostate insertion. Then a path tracking controller was designed to adjust the insertion path in real-time, realizing the tracking control of the planned path for the cannula flexible needle. Finally, the experiments were carried out to verify the rationality of the robot structure and the effectiveness of the puncture control in an environment with obstacles. The experimental results showed that the insertion average error was 1.3mm, the maximum error was 1.7mm, and the root mean square error was 0.3mm, fulfilling the insertion accuracy requirements of the clinical prostate surgery. This proved the rationality of the structural design and the high precision of the control.

Abstract The humidity role in the partial discharge (PD) inception mechanism is quite challenging, especially when considering the environmental temperature. Indeed, there is no general rule to explain the humidity effect on the PD phenomenon. In this paper, the PD activity in inter‐turn insulation is experimentally investigated for different relative humidity (RH) conditions at three different ambient temperatures, that is, 30°C, 60°C, and 90°C. Partial discharge inception voltage (PDIV) is directly measured through a photomultiplier tube (PMT), whereas the tip‐up tests are performed aiming at monitoring both dissipation factor (tanδ) and insulation capacitance (IC). These extra measurements (diagnostic dielectric markers) allow better assessing the insulation status. The adoption of the tip‐up test enables the insulation properties measurement. Based on the tip‐up tests’ findings, the interfacial polarization process starts at 75% RH under 60°C, while the high conductivity area is already formed at 75% RH when the ambient temperature is 90°C. The water film formation deduced from the tip‐up test is then used to explain the trend of PDIV, and the validity is further proved by finite element analysis (FEA).

Gene expression and cell fate determination require precise and coordinated epigenetic regulation. The complex three-dimensional (3D) genome organization plays a critical role in transcription in myriad biological processes. A wide range of architectural features of the 3D genome, including chromatin loops, topologically associated domains (TADs), chromatin compartments, and phase separation, together regulate the chromatin state and transcriptional activity at multiple levels. With the help of 3D genome informatics, recent biochemistry and imaging approaches based on different strategies have revealed functional interactions among biomacromolecules, even at the single-cell level. Here, we review the occurrence, mechanistic basis, and functional implications of dynamic genome organization, and outline recent experimental and computational approaches for profiling multiscale genome architecture to provide robust tools for studying the 3D genome.

Abstract Background The serum is rich in nutrients and plays an essential role in electrolyte and acid–base balance, maintaining cellular homeostasis. In addition, serum parameters have been commonly used as essential biomarkers for clinical diagnosis. However, little is known about the genetic mechanism of the serum parameters in ducks. Results This study measured 18 serum parameters in 320 samples of the F2 segregating population generated by Mallard × Pekin duck. The phenotypic correlations showed a high correlation between LDH, HBDH, AST, and ALT (0.59–0.99), and higher coefficients were also observed among TP, ALB, HDL-C, and CHO (0.46–0.87). And then, we performed the GWAS to reveal the genetic basis of the 18 serum biochemical parameters in ducks. Fourteen candidate protein-coding genes were identified with enzyme traits (AST, ALP, LDH, HBDH), and 3 protein-coding genes were associated with metabolism and protein-related serum parameters (UA, TG). Moreover, the expression levels of the above candidate protein-coding genes in different stages of breast muscle and different tissues were analyzed. Furthermore, the genes located within the high-LD region (r2 > 0.4 and − log10(P)

Radionuclide identification is an important part of the nuclear material identification system. The development of artificial intelligence and machine learning has made nuclide identification rapid and automatic. However, many methods directly use existing deep learning models to analyze the gamma-ray spectrum, which lacks interpretability for researchers. This study proposes an explainable radionuclide identification algorithm based on the convolutional neural network and class activation mapping. This method shows the area of interest of the neural network on the gamma-ray spectrum by generating a class activation map. We analyzed the class activation map of the gamma-ray spectrum of different types, different gross counts, and different signal-to-noise ratios. The results show that the convolutional neural network attempted to learn the relationship between the input gamma-ray spectrum and the nuclide type, and could identify the nuclide based on the photoelectric peak and Compton edge. Furthermore, the results explain why the neural network could identify gamma-ray spectra with low counts and low signal-to-noise ratios. Thus, the findings improve researchers’ confidence in the ability of neural networks to identify nuclides and promote the application of artificial intelligence methods in the field of nuclide identification.

AbstractTomato (Solanum lycopersicum) is one of the highest-value vegetable crops worldwide, but tomato planting can be easily affected by leaf mold. Tomato leaf mold disease is caused by Cladosporium fulvum, and plants carrying the Cf genes have effective resistance to C. fulvum. To identify leaf mold resistant varieties and screen for specific cDNA amplified fragment length polymorphism (cDNA-AFLP) molecular markers, tomato plants harbouring genes Cf-5, Cf-11, Cf-19, and the moneymaker (MM) tomato line (without Cf gene) were used as plant materials. The changes in reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels and antioxidant activities of plant leaves after inoculation of C. fulvum were measured. Ethylene (ETH), abscisic acid (ABA) and salicylic acid (SA) contents were also determined. The results revealed that the ROS levels in Cf-19 tomato were the most sensitive to C. fulvum inoculation, while in MM they were the least. The antioxidant enzymes of Cf-carrying plants exhibited different activities as compared to those of MM. In the cDNA-AFLP analysis data, the expression of ERF109, sedoheptulose-1,7-bisphosphatase (SBPase), L-ascorbic acid oxidase (AAO) and Thioredoxin H2 (TRX2) were different between Cf-gene carriers and MM plants. In summary, in the process of leaf–mold interaction, the outbreak of ROS and development of systemic acquired resistance (SAR) are tightly combined with antioxidant enzymes, including thioredoxin. Tomato plants carrying the Cf-19 gene appear to have stronger C. fulvum resistance.