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Jihong Li,1,&ast; Lili Zhang,2,&ast; Xiaohui Yang,2 Pan Wang,2 Lijie Feng,2 Erkun Guo,3 Yuan Chen2 1Department of Laboratory Medicine, The Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, 050000, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Pediatrics, The Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, 050000, People’s Republic of China; 3Department of Neurosurgery, The Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, 050000, People’s Republic of China&ast;These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Yuan Chen, Department of Pediatrics, The Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University, 215 Heping West Road, Shijiazhuang, 050000, Hebei, People’s Republic of China, Tel +86-311-66002936, Email ychen1974@126.comBackground: Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) pathogen culture suffers from the drawbacks of prolonged cycle time and a low positivity rate in diagnosing intracranial infections in children. This study aims to investigate the diagnostic potential of targeted next-generation sequencing (tNGS) in pediatric neurosurgery for central nervous system (CNS) infections.Methods: A retrospective study was conducted on children under 14 with suspected intracranial infections following craniocerebral trauma or surgery between November 2018 and August 2020. Routine, biochemical, smear, and pathogen culture tests were performed on CSF during treatment. The main parameters of CSF analysis encompassed white blood cells (WBC, × 106/L) count, percentage of multinucleated cells (%), protein levels (g/L), glucose concentration (GLU, mmol/L), chloride levels (mmol/L), and pressure (mmH2O). The outcomes of tNGS were assessed through the Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve and pertinent diagnostic parameters.Results: Among the 35 included pediatric patients, 22 were clinically diagnosed with CNS infection in neurosurgery, tNGS was confirmed in 18 cases. The sensitivity and specificity of tNGS were 81.8% and 76.9%, respectively, while the traditional method of CSF cultures and smears exhibited a sensitivity of 13.6% and a specificity of 100%. ROC curve analysis indicated an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.794 for tNGS and 0.568 for the CSF cultures and smears. CSF analysis indicated that the two groups exhibited statistically significant differences in terms of WBC count [330.0 (110.00– 2639.75) vs 14.00 (4.50– 26.50), P< 0.001] and percentage of multinuclear cells (%) [87.50 (39.75– 90.00) vs 0 (0– 10.00), P< 0.001]. However, the remaining parameters did not statistically significant differences between the groups (all P> 0.05).Conclusion: tNGS demonstrates a high degree of diagnostic accuracy when detecting infections within the CNS of pediatric neurosurgery patients. tNGS can effectively establish for diagnosing CNS infections by detecting pathogenic microorganisms and their corresponding virulence and/or resistance genes within the test samples.Keywords: targeted next-generation sequencing, neurosurgery, central nervous system infections, cerebrospinal fluid, diagnostic

Enhui Guo,1,2,&ast; Chengqian Li,2,3,&ast; Yanjiao Hu,4 Kongyuan Zhao,1,2 Qingmei Zheng,1,&ast; Liming Wang1,&ast; 1Department of Gynecology, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, People’s Republic of China; 2Qingdao Medical College, Qingdao University, Qingdao, People’s Republic of China; 3Department of Neurology, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, People’s Republic of China; 4Department of Pathology, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, People’s Republic of China&ast;These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Qingmei Zheng; Liming Wang, Department of Gynecology, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, No. 1677, Wutaishan Road, Huangdao District, Qingdao, Shandong, 266000, People’s Republic of China, Tel +86-18661806725 ; +86-18661807912, Email zhengqingmei0532@126.com; wlmqingyi@163.comAbstract: Leiomyoma with bizarre nuclei (LBN), also known as symplastic leiomyoma, is a histological subtype of benign leiomyoma with bizarre cells and nuclear atypia. Differentiating LBN from other benign leiomyoma subtypes, uterine smooth muscle tumors of uncertain malignant potential (STUMP), or leiomyosarcoma (LMS) can be diagnostically challenging owing to overlapping features in clinical presentation and pathologic morphological analysis. The difficulty of distinguishing LBN from other lesions, especially from LMS, and the potential of LBN for subsequent malignant transformation make LBN an important topic of research. Herein, we review the definition, diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis of LBN. Histopathological examination is essential for distinguishing LBN from other diseases. Pathology sampling and morphological examination remain the key to diagnosis. The newly established ancillary immunohistochemical (IHC) and molecular genetic analysis can be useful tools for differential diagnosis. Furthermore, serum biomarkers and imaging examination may also be useful diagnostic tools. Attention should be paid to the differentiation between LBN and LMS because morphological diagnosis may still be challenging in some cases. Some IHC markers of LBN have been identified, which may be helpful for differential diagnosis. Furthermore, the use of IHC panels as diagnostic markers may be advocated. Molecular genetic studies suggest that some genes can aid with the differential diagnosis between LBN and LMS. However, increasing evidence support the idea that LBN and LMS are molecularly related, indicating that LBN may represent a potentially malignant stage of precancerous progression. At present, conservative treatment is recommended for primary LBN, especially for patients desiring to retain fertility, but close follow-up with imaging examinations is required.Keywords: diagnosis, histopathology, molecular genetics, imaging examination, treatment, prognosis

The hidden order of atomic packing in amorphous structures and how this may provide the origin of plastic events have long been a goal in the understanding of plastic deformation in metallic glasses. To pursue this issue, we employ here molecular dynamic simulations to create three-dimensional models for a few metallic glasses where, based on the geometrical frustration of the coordination polyhedra, we classify the atoms in the amorphous structure into six distinct species, where “gradient atomic packing structure” exists. The local structure in the amorphous state can display a gradual transition from loose stacking to dense stacking of atoms, followed by a gradient evolution of atomic performance. As such, the amorphous alloy specifically comprises three discernible regions: solid-like, transition, and liquid-like regions, each one possessing different types of atoms. We also demonstrate that the liquid-like atoms correlate most strongly with fertile sites for shear transformation, the transition atoms take second place, whereas the solid-like atoms contribute the least because of their lowest correlation level with the liquid-like atoms. Unlike the “geometrically unfavored motifs” model which fails to consider the role of medium-range order, our model gives a definite structure for the so-called “soft spots”, that is, a combination of liquid-like atoms and their neighbors, in favor of quantifying and comparing their number between different metallic glasses, which can provide a rational explanation for the unique mechanical behavior of metallic glasses.

In the last decade, ferroptosis has received much attention from the scientific research community. It differs from other modes of cell death at the morphological, biochemical, and genetic levels. Ferroptosis is mainly characterized by non-apoptotic iron-dependent cell death caused by irondependent lipid peroxide excess and is accompanied by abnormal iron metabolism and oxidative stress. In recent years, more and more studies have shown that ferroptosis is closely related to the occurrence and development of lung diseases. COPD, asthma, lung injury, lung fibrosis, lung cancer, lung infection and other respiratory diseases have become the third most common chronic diseases worldwide, bringing serious economic and psychological burden to people around the world. However, the exact mechanism by which ferroptosis is involved in the development and progression of lung diseases has not been fully revealed. In thismanuscript, we describe themechanism of ferroptosis, targeting of ferroptosis related signaling pathways and proteins, summarize the relationship between ferroptosis and respiratory diseases, and explore the intervention and targeted therapy of ferroptosis for respiratory diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Water and nitrogen are critical factors that constrain the sustainable production of dryland agriculture. With increasingly severe crisis of water and nitrogen resources and environment, exploring and optimizing water-nitrogen managements, and hence achieving coordinated and unified resource conservation, high and stable grain production, and high efficiency are of great significance for agricultural development. Key parameters of APSIM (agricultural production system simulator) are calibrated and validated based on spring maize phenology, yield, and field management data from Tuquan, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region from 2013 to 2022. Combined with meteorological data from 1981 to 2022 at Tuquan, water-nitrogen management scenarios are designed under different water deficit levels. Optimal water-nitrogen managements for spring maize at Tuquan are proposed based on indicators including spring maize yield, irrigation amount, nitrogen application amount, water productivity, and agronomic efficiency of applied nitrogen. Furthermore, the suitable irrigation and nitrogen application amounts for spring maize under different precipitation year types are analyzed. Results show that normalized root mean squared errors of the simulated and observed days from emergence to flowering, days from emergence to maturity, and yield of spring maize are 1.3%, 1.2% and 2.8%, respectively. APSIM can quantitatively simulate the growth period and yield of spring maize. Based on the principle that yield, water productivity, and agronomic efficiency of applied nitrogen of spring maize do not significantly decrease compared to the maximum values of all scenarios, and irrigation and nitrogen application amounts do not significantly increase compared to the minimum values of all scenarios, four management measures with no significant differences can be selected, namely, starting automatic irrigation when water deficit reaches 40%, 50%, 60% at the depth of 0-100 cm, and when the water deficit reaches 60% at the depth of 0-60 cm. Among them, the optimal auto-irrigation management for spring maize at Tuquan is to apply irrigation when the water deficit reaches 60% at the depth of 0-100 cm. In this scenario, the irrigation amount is 171.0 mm, and the nitrogen application amount is 197.8 kg·hm-2. When the precipitation during the spring maize growing season is 200-400 mm, the appropriate irrigation amount is 233.0-283.5 mm, and the nitrogen application amount is 176.9-219.3 kg·hm-2. When the precipitation during the spring maize growing season is 401-600 mm, the appropriate irrigation amount is 110.5-148.4 mm, and the nitrogen application amount is 218.3-241.5 kg·hm-2, respectively. When the precipitation during the spring maize growing season is 601-800 mm, the suitable irrigation amount is 125.0-155.0 mm, and the nitrogen application amount is 211.8-249.9 kg·hm-2. This study provides a quantitative reference for utilizing crop mechanism models in real-time monitoring, diagnosis, and precise management of crop water and nitrogen.

Objective To investigate the clinical features and risk factors of sepsis-induced cardiomyopathy in children with sepsis， aiming to provide reference for enhancing the diagnosis and treatment levels of clinicians. Methods Clinical data of children with sepsis were retrospectively analyzed. All patients were divided into the sepsis-induced cardiomyopathy group and non-sepsis-induced cardiomyopathy group according to whether sepsis-induced cardiomyopathy occurred.Clinical characteristics and outcomes were compared between two groups. The risk factors of sepsis-induced cardiomyopathy were analyzed. Results Three hundred and ninty-eight children with sepsis were included in this study， and the incidence of sepsis-induced cardiomyopathy was 15.58%（62/398）. The age of children in the sepsis-induced cardiomyopathy group was 49 （18， 108） months， older than 19 （6， 52） months in the non-sepsis-induced cardiomyopathy group. The incidence of septic shock in the sepsis-induced cardiomyopathy group was 83.87%（52/62）， which was higher than 42.56% （143/336） in the non-sepsis-induced cardiomyopathy group. The mortality rate in the sepsis-induced cardiomyopathy group was 29.03% （18/62）， significantly higher than 14.58% （49/336） in the non-sepsis-induced cardiomyopathy group. All differences were statistically significant （all P < 0.05）.Multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that the influence of age on sepsis-induced cardiomyopathy was statistically significant （OR=1.010， 95%CI 1.003-1.017， P = 0.006）. The higher the lactic acid level， the higher the risk of sepsis-induced cardiomyopathy， with statistical significance （OR=1.163， 95%CI 1.034-1.308， P = 0.012）. The higher the cTnI level， the higher the risk of sepsis-induced cardiomyopathy， with statistical significance （OR=9.929， 95%CI 4.651-21.197， P < 0.001）. Conclusions Compared with children with non-sepsis-induced cardiomyopathy， children with sepsis-induced cardiomyopathy are more prone to septic shock and have higher mortality. Age， lactic acid and cTnI levels are the independent influencing factors for sepsis-induced cardiomyopathy in children.

In this paper, to address the cooperative localisation of a heterogeneous UAV swarm in the GNSS-denied environment, an adaptive simulated annealing-particle swarm optimisation (SA-PSO) cooperative localisation algorithm is proposed. Firstly, the forming principle of the communication and measurement framework is investigated in light of a heterogeneous UAV swarm composition. Secondly, a reasonably cooperative localisation function is established based on the proposed forming principle, which can minimise the relative localisation error with limited available information. Then, an adaptive weight principle is incorporated into the particle swarm optimisation (PSO) for better performance. Furthermore, in order to overcome the drawbacks of PSO algorithm easily falling into the local extreme point, an adaptive SA-PSO algorithm is improved to promote the convergence speed of cooperative localisation. Finally, comparative simulations are performed among the adaptive SA-PSO, adaptive PSO, and PSO algorithms to demonstrate the feasibility and superiority of the proposed adaptive SA-PSO algorithm. Simulation results show that the proposed algorithm has better performance in convergence speed, and the cooperative localisation precision can be guaranteed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The tangent quadruple circular-arc harmonic gear has the advantages of strong load capacity and transmission stability. In order to meet requirements of high efficiency and precision machining of tangent quadruple circular-arc harmonic gears, a method of gear skiving and manufacture of the tangent quadruple circular-arc harmonic flexspline is presented based on establishing the two-parameters conjugated tooth surface of the gear tooth. The kinematic model of skiving and the mathematical model of the tangent quadruple circular-arc harmonic flexspline are established. Then the meshing equation of the two-parameters conjugated tooth surface between the generative cutter and the gear tooth surface is derived. The accurate cutting edges on the normal surface of the skiving tool are obtained by solving conjugated tooth surface and constructing normal equation of the tool. The skiving tool is designed and manufactured by using the cutting edges on the end surface. The simulation and cutting experiment have been carried out to verify the effectiveness of the proposed tool design method, which has a higher accuracy for machining the tangent quadruple circular-arc harmonic flexspline. The results could provide guidance for the high efficiency and high precision manufacturing of tangent quadruple circular-arc harmonic flexsplines.