Search

This study was designed to investigate the occurrence and exposure assessment of multiple mycotoxins in corn-based food products from Shandong Province, China. Results demonstrated that the mean level of total mycotoxins in test samples was 197.2 µg/kg. The most frequently found mycotoxins were deoxynivalenol (96.7%) and fumonisin B1 (94.4%), with mean contamination levels of 65.24 and 128.2, respectively. Among these corn-based food products, thin corn pancake had the highest mean contamination (886.7 µg/kg), followed by wotou (143.7 µg/kg), corn cake (135.4 µg/kg) and mantou (63.73 µg/kg). The average exposure values to total fumonisins and deoxynivalenol were 0.05 and 0.02 µg/kg bw/day, which were lower than the provisional maximum tolerable daily intake values of 2 and 1 µg/kg bw/day, respectively, as established by the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives. In the future strict control and systematic monitoring are needed to secure food safety and human health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The true proportional navigation guidance law, the augmented proportional navigation guidance law, or the adaptive sliding-mode guidance law, is designed based on the planar target-to-missile relative motion dynamics. By a proper construction of a nonlinear Lyapunov function for the line-of-sight angular rates in the three-dimensional guidance dynamics, it is shown that the three guidance laws mentioned above are able to ensure the asymptotic convergence of the angular rates as they are directly applied to the three-dimensional guidance environment. Furthermore, considering the missile autopilot dynamics as a first-order lag, we design three-dimensional nonlinear guidance laws by using the backstepping technique for three cases: (1) the target does not maneuver; (2) the information of target acceleration can be acquired; and (3) the target acceleration is not available but its bound is known a priori. In the first step of the backstepping design of the control law, there is no need to cancel the nonlinear coupling terms in the three-dimensional guidance dynamics in such way that the final expressions of the proposed guidance laws are significantly simplified. Thus, the proposed nonlinear Lyapunov function for the line-of-sight angular rates is a generalized function for designing three-dimensional guidance laws. Simulation results of a missile interception mission show that the proposed guidance laws are highly effective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Compressive behavior of the modified resin was well revealed. • Properly adding microfiber was found to be an effective modification method. • Optimal design for a variable-stiffness load transfer component was proposed. In this study, a theoretical analysis of load transfer component (LTC), experimental behavior enhancement of an LTC, and variable stiffness design of a fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) cable anchor system (CAS) were conducted. In addition, a resin-based LTC modified by two types of particles and three types of microfibers was investigated by analyzing a resin casting body (RCB). The results showed that failures in the RCBs modified by quartz sand (RCBQs), garnet sand (RCBGs), and sand and microfibers (RCBSFs) were caused by resin–sand interfacial debonding, microfiber debonding, pull-out, and fracture. The elastic modulus of the RCBQ/Gs and the RCBSFs were positively correlated to the sand and microfiber contents. However, the compressive strengths of the RCBQ/Gs initially decreased and subsequently increased with the increase in the sand content. The compressive strength of the RCBSFs typically increased with the increase in the microfiber content. In addition, the RCBSFs presented an optimal modified effect. The compressive behavior of the RCBSFs was appropriately described by a cubic polynomial fitting model with an R2 greater than 0.97. The optimal design of a variable-stiffness LTC was realized by decreasing the loading-end LTC stiffness and increasing the free-end LTC stiffness simultaneously. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A variable-stiffness cable anchor system was optimized by FE method. • Based on the system, the mean ultimate load of the BFRP cable reached 1919 kN. • The mean anchor efficiency of the BFRP cable was 95%. Due to anisotropy of fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) material, the anchoring of large-tonnage multiple-tendon FRP cable is a challenge. To solve this problem, a large-tonnage FRP cable anchor system (CAS) was designed numerically by optimizing five key anchorage parameters affecting the anchor efficiency and implemented in three full-scale basalt FRP (BFRP) cables with 37 Φ7 tendons. The numerical results showed that the cable radial displacement increases with the spacing of tendons increasing. The cable radial compressive stress and displacement decrease with the thickness of the load transfer component (LTC) increasing. Increasing anchor length and conical angle have significant reducing effect on the cable axial displacement but a negligible effect on the cable radial displacement. Experimental verification showed that the mean anchor efficiency and ultimate load of the BFRP cables were 95% and 1919 kN, respectively. The maximum axial strain difference of the BFRP cable at the loading and free ends increased with the load. The shear stress of the center BFRP tendon first increased rapidly, then decreased slowly, then increased gradually again, and finally decreased quickly. The axial strains and shear stress of the BFRP cable in the anchor zone were consistent with the FE results, and were proved to follow linear and cubic functions, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Stress and deformation of multiple-tendon FRP cable were reflected. • Failure mechanisms of FRP CAS were clearly revealed by a 3D FE model. • Applying radial variable stiffness was an effective optimization method. In this study, a three-dimensional (3D) finite element (FE) model of multiple-tendon fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) cable-anchor system (CAS) was established to reveal the stress and deformation of an FRP cable. The model was firstly validated by the previous experimental results. The failure mechanism of FRP cable was clarified through FE analysis. Three types of optimizations, including changing the spacing of the FRP tendons, conducting the radial variable stiffness of the load transfer component (LTC) and changing the inner cone form of the anchorage, were conducted to improve anchor behavior. For FRP tendons, the radial compressive stress, as well as the relative radial displacements, were found to be nearly identical at different positions. An evident uneven axial tensile stress was observed for both the intra- and inter-tendon scenarios, in which the maximum axial tensile stress occurred in the outermost layer tendon. The failure of the FRP cable was dominated by the excessive tension-bending stress and radial compressive stress at the loading end. Applying radial variable-stiffness LTC was found to be the most effective method, and was validated in different tendon diameters and number of tendons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A systematic review of the current urban RECC evaluation. • The unbalanced characteristics of urban development are analyzed. • Providing a brand-new conceptual model on urban RECC for meeting the unbalance characteristics when evaluating urban RECC. • The division of urban grid units and the introduction of urban RECC finite element analysis. The evaluation and optimization of the carrying capacity of urban resources and environment is an important basis for sustainable development of cities and society. The change of urban space scale indicates that serious unbalance crisis of urban space distribution is hidden behind the rapid development. This paper aims to provide a brand-new way for meeting the unbalance characteristics when evaluating carrying capacity of resource and environment. Firstly, an analysis on the unbalance characteristics of urban development was conducted for providing a foundation for this research. Secondly, the thought of urban grid and finite element analysis were introduced to this study. As a result, a conceptual framework was designed for evaluating resources and environment carrying capacity (RECC) under the unbalance condition. This conceptual framework includes four steps, which are construction of basic database, the division of urban grid and the mechanical analysis of RECC, finite element analysis of urban unit grid, and integration of RECC. A detailed introduction of the whole process was provided. The research results will provide an innovative idea for the evaluation of urban RECCs. It can also inspire urban managers to proceed from the status quo and make full use of urban resource and environmental systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Premature ovarian failure, which is also called premature menopause, refers to the stop of menstruation and the formation of oocyte before 40 years old. As a disease which is closely related to the formation of oocyte and relevant meiosis, the role of adjacent cells such as ovarian granulosa cell or the membranous follicular cells in the pathogenesis of premature ovarian failure is currently being investigated. One of the most popular theories concludes that premature ovarian failure is due to the apoptosis of the ovarian granulosa cells, as they are responsible for the synthesis and regulation of multiple types of hormones and internal factors that are related to reproduction, for example, the inhibin, activin, and follistatin. The apoptosis of the ovarian granulosa cells can be initiated by various of internal or external environmental factors such as the hazardous chemicals in the ovarian or the excessive exposure to the physical radiation as a result of the occupation. While the detailed underlying mechanisms to cause the apoptosis of the ovarian granulosa cell are still unclear. The ursolic acid is white concrete at room temperature, and many studies have elucidated that it can relieve hypoxia and endoplasmic reticulum stress. In this article, the author proposed five molecular pathways of ursolic acid to relieve or cure premature ovarian failure in humans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the creators of the external benefits of prefabricated construction implementation, the government, real estate developers, and homebuyers have the right to allocate the external benefits. However, there is no effective quantitative method for achieving this goal. Therefore, this study aims to develop a quantitative analysis model for the reasonable allocation of the external benefits among the creators. The externality theory and bargaining theory were introduced to this study as the research foundation. Through literature review, the environmental benefit quantification index was defined. A bargaining model including Game 1 and Game 2 was designed for determining the external benefits allocation ratios for each player. In Game 1, the government was considered as the agent of homebuyers to conduct the bargaining game with real estate developers. Game 2 reflected the bargaining game process between the government and homebuyers for sharing the ratio of external benefits achieved from Game 1. The powerful position in bargaining game and discount factors of each player were considered as the critical factors influencing the distribution ratio because the value will change with the development of prefabricated construction. A prefabricated construction building was selected as a case to illustrate the applicability of this proposed model. The distribution result is that the government, the real estate developers, and homebuyers should share the external benefits of prefabrication implementation by 38%, 35%, and 27% respectively. This study contributes to aiding the creators to achieve optimal benefits allocation and thus motivates the enthusiasm of practitioners in prefabricated construction implementation. • External benefits of prefabrication implementation should be allocated among creators. • Externality theory and bargaining theory can assist the allocation. • A bargaining game model was designed for allocating the external benefits. • A case study shows the applicability of the proposed model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Twelve factors influencing prefabrication implementation in rural areas were identified. • A strategy selection model integrating SWOT analysis and strategic vector method was designed. • Four scenarios of strategies were presented and some useful implications were provided. • A case study of Jinan city was conducted to demonstrate the applicability of this model. The construction of rural residential buildings has a great impact on the achievement of sustainable countryside. It needs a cleaner construction method. This study argues that prefabrication should be adopted in rural areas, but different strategies should be designed based on the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT). This issue has not been involved in previous studies. This paper aims to design a model for determining the suitable strategy of prefabrication implementation. Twelve factors affecting the prefabrication implementation were firstly identified for SWOT analysis, including prefabricated construction standards, ecological benefits, transportation capacity, and so on. A strategy selection model expressed by strategic vector (θ, ρ) was then designed, in which strategic azimuth (θ) determines the strategy type and intensity coefficient (ρ) determines the attitudes that should be taken to the selected strategy. Four types of strategies (aggressing, pioneering, reverse, and avoidant) and two development intensities (conservative and proactive) were summarized. The model was substantiated in a village of Jinan as a case. It was identified that aggressing strategy with conservative attitude is the optimal strategy to the current conditions in rural Jinan. The developed model can be adopted by other rural areas for devising their suitable prefabrication development strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To reveal the durability of fiber‐reinforced polymer (FRP) profiles, which differ from FRP bars due to the clear variations in the internal structure of the fibers. This study experimentally investigated the tensile properties of FRP profiles in the seawater sea sand concrete (SSC) environment at 25, 45, and 60°C. Unidirectional basalt FRP profiles, multidirectional basalt FRP profiles, and basalt and carbon hybrid FRP profiles were considered. SEM analysis was performed to evaluate the corrosion mechanism. Results show that the strength degradation of FRP profiles accelerated with rising ambient temperature due to resin corrosion in hyperthermia. After 63 days of immersion in the SSC environment solution, multidirectional basalt FRP (BFRP) profiles exhibited more severe corrosion than unidirectional BFRP profiles (82.5% and 88.2%, respectively). The hybrid FRP profiles exhibited a strength retention of 86.4%, which was higher than that of multidirectional BFRP profiles due to the superior alkali resistance of carbon fibers compared to basalt fibers. In addition, prediction models of FRP profiles based on the Arrhenius relation were proposed with a high correlation coefficient of R2. Highlights: Durability of FRP profiles in SSC environment was studied.Basalt and carbon fibers hybrid reinforced multidirectional polymer profiles.Corrosion mechanism of FRP profiles was revealed.Tensile property prediction model of FRPs in SSC environment was proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The cognitive radar framework presents a closed-loop adaptive processing paradigm that ensures the efficient acquisition of target information while exploring the environment and enhancing overall sensing performance. In this study, instead of mutual information, we employed the squared Pearson correlation coefficient (SPCC) to measure the target information in observations specifically considering only linear dependency. A waveform design method is proposed that simultaneously maximizes target information and minimizes the integrated sidelobe level (ISL) under the constant modulus constraint (CMC). To enhance computational efficiency, we reformulated the constrained problem as an unconstrained optimization problem by leveraging the inherent geometric property of CMC. Additionally, we present two conditional equivalences associated with waveform design in relation to target information. The simulation results validate the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To realize the low-carbon, environmentally protection and efficient resource utilization of metallurgical dust containing zinc in iron and steel enterprises, the reduction roasting-magnetic separation of metallurgical dust containing zinc with iron content of 30. 38% and zinc content of 4. 79% was studied. The experimental results show that the direct magnetic separation of metallurgical dust containing zinc is difficult to achieve effective separation of zinc and iron. Under the conditions of roasting temperature of 950 °C, roasting time of 20 min and magnetic separation intensity of 100 mT. The iron recovery rate of magnetic separation concentrate is 79.50%, the iron content is 57. 00%,and the zinc content is 2. 45%. The zinc recovery rate of magnetic separation taillings is 71. 06%, the zinc content is 9. 92%, and the iron content is 16. 81% . The separation rates of zinc and iron is better. The concentrate in the magnetic separation product is mainly composed of elemental Fe, and the tailings are mainly composed of SiO2 and ZnO. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• An actual DML-based MB-OFDM UWBoF system was constructed and investigated. • The ISFA algorithm is applied to improve the SNR and channel estimation accuracy of the DML-based MB-OFDM UWBoF system. • OCT precoding is employed to average the SNR of DML-based MB-OFDM UWBoF systems. In this paper, an intensity-modulated direct-detection (IM/DD) multiband orthogonal-frequency-division-multiplexing ultra-wideband over fiber (MB-OFDM UWBoF) transmission system using a low-cost directly modulated laser (DML) is analyzed and experimentally verified. Precoding techniques and inter-symbol frequency-domain averaging (ISFA) algorithm are used in this experiment. Precoding techniques are used to suppress the noise introduced by DML and the power fading due to the imperfect frequency response of optoelectronic devices and frequency selective fading. Orthogonal Circular Matrix Transform (OCT) precoding and Discrete Fourier Transform (DFT) precoding were compared when the ISFA algorithm was used. In this scheme, for a single-mode fiber (SMF) link at a distance of 20 km, the 64 Quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM) mapped MB-OFDM UWBoF system using OCT precoding with ISFA and DFT precoding with ISFA scheme can improve the sensitivity of the optical receiver by 0.4 dBm and 0.284 dBm, respectively, compared to no precoding with ISFA at a BER of 3.8e-3. The minimum BER of the 64QAM mapped MB-OFDM UWBoF system scheme with OCT precoding and ISFA scheme is 2.56e-5, which achieves two orders of magnitude improvement compared to the BER threshold of the 7% hard-decision forward error correction (HD-FEC, 3.8e-3). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, an evaluation framework for the reliability of a fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) cable-anchorage system was established. We first developed a simplified 3D finite element (FE) model for an effective FRP cable anchorage, in which layers of FRP tendons were equivalent to several concentric rings. The performance of the anchorage system was evaluated using the maximum Tsai–Wu failure index (FI max) of all cable elements. By feeding 1600 samples generated from the above FE model, a back-propagation neural network (BPNN) was trained to rapidly predict FI max. Assuming that the overall failure was controlled by the weakest part, the reliability index β of the entire system can be calculated from FI max through a Monte Carlo (MC) simulation. The β of the prototype anchorage system reached 4.3635. Under a deterministic design load F d , giving a target reliability index β T = 3.7, the design-to-ultimate ratio was estimated to be 0.532. The sensitivity analysis suggested that the FI max was most sensitive to the longitudinal tensile strength of the FRP cable and the thickness of the load transfer component (LTC, also known as load transfer medium or LTM) at the loading end. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The eccentric compression behavior of concrete columns reinforced with a combination of steel and BFRP bars was experimentally studied. • The effects of loading eccentricity, reinforcement type, and reinforcement ratio were discussed. • The equations to predict the axial compressive strength of hybrid-RC columns were proposed. This study aims to investigate the eccentric compression behavior of concrete columns reinforced with a hybrid of steel and basalt fiber-reinforced polymer (BFRP) bars and ties (hybrid-RC). A total of ten slender columns were constructed and tested, including six hybrid-RC columns, two longitudinal steel bars and ties reinforced concrete (steel-RC) columns, and two longitudinal BFRP bars and ties reinforced concrete (BFRP-RC) columns. The study focused on the effects of reinforcement type, loading eccentricity, and reinforcement ratio. The test results indicated that the hybrid-RC columns with relatively higher reinforcement ratios demonstrated close load-carrying capacity and stiffness to those of steel- and BFRP-RC columns. All the columns experienced a significant reduction in their load-carrying capacities, as well as the axial and lateral stiffness, when the applied loading eccentricity increased from 80 mm to 150 mm. As the reinforcement ratio increased, hybrid-RC columns exhibited an improvement in the load-carrying capacity, stiffness, and axial force contribution of longitudinal bars in compression. Furthermore, the equations to predict the cross-sectional strength of hybrid-RC columns were proposed by theoretical analysis, and the existing methods considering the slenderness effect were evaluated for hybrid-RC columns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Graphical abstract Highlights • Crosslinking collagen by transglutaminase (TGase) was investigated. • Proper denature temperature (≥35 °C) improved crosslinking efficiency of TGase. • Relationship between crosslinking and denature temperature for film performance. • Denatured, crosslinked film was still inferior to the natural one in strength. Abstract Transglutaminase (TGase) catalyzing crosslinking between intra- and inter-chain glutamine and lysine peptide residues has been used for modifying protein’s structure. However, its enzymatic performance on albuminoids such as collagen was still not completely illustrated. Herein, we investigated the crosslinking efficiency of films preheated at different temperatures and estimated its physicochemical properties. The electrophoresis results showed that the extracted collagen had typical triple helix structure but reduced and even disappeared as temperature increased. Accordingly, X-ray diffraction (XRD) indicated that the amount of triple helices decreased, corresponding to the decreases in thermal stability and mechanical properties of films. TGase crosslinking decreased the thickness of all films, while mechanical properties and thermal stability had a significant improvement especially at 45 °C and 65 °C. With the proper equilibrium of denature temperature and TGase crosslinking, the tailored film-forming properties of collagen can offer a potential to engineer collagenic material for biodegradable and edible packaging applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Fe0@Cu0 bimetal could selectively reduce nitrate to nitrite. • The formic acid/Fe3+/UV system could reduce nitrite to nitrogen. • Fe0@Cu0 bimetal with HCCOH + Fe3+could completely reduce nitrate under UV radiation. • N 2 selectivity achieved 98% at neutral pH range. Nitrate reduction by zero valent iron (Fe0) has been gained increasing attention. However, two key issues, that is, the reduction is efficient only at acidic condition; and the major reduction product is ammonium, which limited the application of Fe0 for the nitrate removal. In this study, to address these issues, a novel system of Fe0@Cu0 bimetal with formate/Fe3+ under UV irradiation was developed for the nitrate reduction. The results showed that 100% nitrate removal efficiency and 98% N 2 selectivity were achieved at initial pH of 6.47 by a two-step reduction process: (1) the nitrate was firstly reduced to nitrite, while ammonium was negligible in the Fe0@Cu0/formate/UV system; (2) the accumulated nitrite in the effluent from the first-step reduction could be further reduced to nitrogen by CO 2 •− radical generated by the reaction of formic acid, Fe3+ and UV radiation. Almost no formate residual was found in the effluent due to the action of photo-induced electron transfer of Fe3+. The optimization of operation conditions and the combination mode of Fe0@Cu0 with formate/formic acid, Fe3+ and UV were investigated. The chemical denitrification mechanism of the Fe0@Cu0 particles was proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For realizing the high-valued utilization of agricultural by-products and investigating the feasibility of their functional production, we focused on developing biodegradable/edible films based on insoluble dietary fibers (IDF) derived from dried Lentinus edodes (L. edodes) stems and aged Flammulina velutipes (F. velutipes) with a two-stage treatment containing physical processing (colloidal milling and PFI grinding) and chemical treatment (hydrogen peroxide bleaching). Undergoing the bleaching treatment, the IDFs with a reduced size and regular shape effectively improved the performances of edible films. Scanning electron micrographs showed that the bleached L. edodes (BLF) film displayed a smoother surface and more compact internal structure compared to the others. Furthermore, BLF film possessed the highest tensile strength (24.37 ± 0.88 MPa) and an effective barrier to water vapor (0.253 ± 0.016 g mm/m2· h· kpa) and oxygen (10.03 ± 0.97 meq/kg). This study demonstrated that the insoluble fiber dissociated from edible mushroom byproducts has good potential for producing the edible films. • Bleaching treatment effectively reduced the size of edible mushroom insoluble fibers. • The bleached fiber films had low solubility in water and kept good integrity. • Bleached Lentinus edodes film exhibited good tensile strength but less elongation. • Bleached Lentinus edodes film had an effective barrier to moisture and oxygen. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The perception of sensory attributes is often quantified through measurements of sensitivity (the ability to detect small stimulus changes), as well as through direct judgments of appearance or intensity. Despite their ubiquity, the relationship between these two measurements remains controversial and unresolved. Here, we propose a framework in which they arise from different aspects of a common representation. Specifically, we assume that judgments of stimulus intensity (e.g., as measured through rating scales) reflect the mean value of an internal representation, and sensitivity reflects a combination of mean value and noise properties, as quantified by the statistical measure of Fisher information. Unique identification of these internal representation properties can be achieved by combining measurements of sensitivity and judgments of intensity. As a central example, we show that Weber's law of perceptual sensitivity can coexist with Stevens' power-law scaling of intensity ratings (for all exponents), when the noise amplitude increases in proportion to the representational mean. We then extend this result beyond the Weber's law range by incorporating a more general and physiology-inspired form of noise and show that the combination of noise properties and sensitivity measurements accurately predicts intensity ratings across a variety of sensory modalities and attributes. Our framework unifies two primary perceptual measurements-thresholds for sensitivity and rating scales for intensity-and provides a neural interpretation for the underlying representation., Competing Interests: Competing interests statement:The authors declare no competing interest.

Diverse neuro-imaging techniques measure different aspects of neural responses with distinct spatial and temporal resolutions. Relating measured neural responses across different methods has been challenging. Here, we take a step towards overcoming this challenge, by comparing the nonlinearity of neural dynamics measured across methods. We used widefield voltage-sensitive dye imaging (VSDI) to measure neural population responses in macaque V1 to visual stimuli with a wide range of temporal waveforms. We found that stimulus-evoked VSDI responses are surprisingly near-additive in time. These results are qualitatively different from the strong sub-additive dynamics previously measured using fMRI and electrocorticography (ECoG) in human visual cortex with a similar set of stimuli. To test whether this discrepancy is specific to VSDI-a signal dominated by subthreshold neural activity, we repeated our measurements using widefield imaging of a genetically encoded calcium indicator (GcaMP6f)-a signal dominated by spiking activity, and found that GCaMP signals in macaque V1 are also near-additive. Therefore, the discrepancies in the extent of sub-additivity between the macaque and the human measurements are unlikely due to differences between sub- and supra-threshold neural responses. Finally, we use a simple yet flexible delayed normalization model to capture these different dynamics across measurements (with different model parameters). The model can potentially generalize to a broader set of stimuli, which aligns with previous suggestion that dynamic gain-control is a canonical computation contributing to neural processing in the brain., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Microtia is a congenital and morphological anomaly of one or both ears, which results from a confluence of genetic and external environmental factors. Up to now, extensive research has explored the potential utilization of computational methodologies in microtia and has obtained promising results. Thus, the authors reviewed the achievements and shortcomings of the research mentioned previously, from the aspects of artificial intelligence, computer-aided design and surgery, computed tomography, medical and biological data mining, and reality-related technology, including virtual reality and augmented reality. Hoping to offer novel concepts and inspire further studies within this field., Competing Interests: The authors report no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2024 by Mutaz B. Habal, MD.)

The incidence of autoimmune diseases has significantly increased over the past 20 years. Excessive host immunoreactions and disordered immunoregulation are at the core of the pathogenesis of autoimmune diseases. The traditional anti-tumor chemotherapy drug CPT-11 is associated with leukopenia. Considering that CPT-11 induces leukopenia, we believe that it is a promising drug for the control of autoimmune diseases. Here, we show that CPT-11 suppresses T cell proliferation and pro-inflammatory cytokine production in healthy C57BL/6 mice and in complete Freund's adjuvant-challenged mice. We found that CPT-11 effectively inhibited T cell proliferation and Th1 and Th17 cell differentiation by inhibiting glycolysis in T cells. We also assessed CPT-11 efficacy in treating autoimmune diseases in models of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis and psoriasis. Finally, we proved that treatment of autoimmune diseases with CPT-11 did not suppress long-term immune surveillance for cancer. Taken together, these results show that CPT-11 is a promising immunosuppressive drug for autoimmune disease treatment., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Quantum systems usually feature a rich multilevel structure with promising resources for developing superior quantum technologies compared with their binary counterpart. Single-shot readout of these high-dimensional quantum systems is essential for exploiting their potential. Although there have been various high-spin systems, the single-shot readout of the overall state of high-spin systems remains a challenging issue. Here we demonstrate a reliable single-shot readout of spin qutrit state in a low-temperature solid-state system utilizing a binary readout scheme. We achieve a single-shot readout of an electron spin qutrit associated with a single nitrogen-vacancy center in diamond with an average fidelity of 87.80%. We use this spin qutrit system to verify quantum contextuality, a fundamental test of quantum mechanics. We observe a violation of the noncontextual hidden variable inequality with the developed single-shot readout in contrast to the conventional binary readout. These results pave the way for developing quantum information processing based on spin qutrits.