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A high strength and toughness AZ63 cast magnesium alloy whose ultimate tensile strength, yield strength and elongation at room temperature respectively reached 319 MPa, 160 MPa and 7.6%, was developed by combining the alternating-temperature ultrasonic melt treatment and T6 heat treatment. The high as-aged tensile properties of the alloy with the alternating-temperature ultrasonic melt treatment are mainly attributed to the remarkable increase of the β-prismatic precipitates with orientation relationships (ORs) of ([Formula: see text]0)β // (1[Formula: see text]00)α, [[Formula: see text]11]β // [11[Formula: see text]0]α, thereinto the mentioned-increase is possibly related to that the solute-vacancy clusters along {0[Formula: see text]11} plane might serve as the nucleation points of the β-prismatic precipitates.

Abstract Objective Accurate prediction of survival prognosis is helpful to guide clinical decision-making. The aim of this study was to develop a model using machine learning techniques to predict the occurrence of composite thromboembolic events (CTEs) in elderly patients with atrial fibrillation(AF). These events encompass newly diagnosed cerebral ischemia events, cardiovascular events, pulmonary embolism, and lower extremity arterial embolism. Methods This retrospective study included 6,079 elderly hospitalized patients (≥ 75 years old) with AF admitted to the People’s Liberation Army General Hospital in China from January 2010 to June 2022. Random forest imputation was used for handling missing data. In the descriptive statistics section, patients were divided into two groups based on the occurrence of CTEs, and differences between the two groups were analyzed using chi-square tests for categorical variables and rank-sum tests for continuous variables. In the machine learning section, the patients were randomly divided into a training dataset (n = 4,225) and a validation dataset (n = 1,824) in a 7:3 ratio. Four machine learning models (logistic regression, decision tree, random forest, XGBoost) were trained on the training dataset and validated on the validation dataset. Results The incidence of composite thromboembolic events was 19.53%. The Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator (LASSO) method, using 5-fold cross-validation, was applied to the training dataset and identified a total of 18 features that exhibited a significant association with the occurrence of CTEs. The random forest model outperformed other models in terms of area under the curve (ACC: 0.9144, SEN: 0.7725, SPE: 0.9489, AUC: 0.927, 95% CI: 0.9105–0.9443). The random forest model also showed good clinical validity based on the clinical decision curve. The Shapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP) showed that the top five features associated with the model were history of ischemic stroke, high triglyceride (TG), high total cholesterol (TC), high plasma D-dimer, age. Conclusions This study proposes an accurate model to stratify patients with a high risk of CTEs. The random forest model has good performance. History of ischemic stroke, age, high TG, high TC and high plasma D-Dimer may be correlated with CTEs.

Digital human narrative transportation has proven to be an effective green brand marketing strategy. However, there is still a lack of in-depth research on the relationship between the role of different digital human narrative scenarios in consumer perceptions and behaviors. This research examined the impact of digital human narrative scenarios on eco-product purchase intention through four studies. Study 1 found that anime-like (vs. human-like) digital human narratives led to more positive emotional arousal and higher eco-product purchase intention through the use of encephalography (EEG) experiments. Studies 2–4 examined the effect of digital human narrative scenarios on eco-product purchase intentions and explored the mediating role of narrative presence and the moderating role of narrative type. The results showed that mixed (vs. single) narratives lead to more positive consumer purchase intentions. In addition, sharing-oriented (vs. persuasion-oriented) narratives also led to a more positive perception of narrative presence. These findings provide insights for marketers using digital human narratives to promote eco-product consumption.

Abstract Knowledge diffusion in regional innovation ecosystems is an important factor that influences the regional innovation efficiency. In regional innovation ecosystems under digital empowerment, the knowledge diffusion enables the optimal allocation of innovation resources and promotes the sustainable development and ecological evolution of regional innovation ecosystems. In this paper, a SEIR (Susceptible–Exposed–Infected–Recovered) model is proposed for knowledge diffusion in regional innovation ecosystems under digitization. The basic reproduction number of the proposed model is calculated and its stability is validated. Finally, the expressions for the optimal control system and the optimal control parameters are presented. According to the research conclusions of this paper, the knowledge-diffusion ability of innovation agents in an innovation ecosystem affects the knowledge diffusion in a system; the contact rate between innovation agents affects the efficiency of knowledge diffusion in the system and the structure of the system; the digital transmission ability of innovation agents affects the breadth of knowledge diffusion in the system; and the self-learning ability of innovation agents affects the efficiency of knowledge diffusion in the system.The digital technologies help heterogeneous innovation agents in regional innovation ecosystems to break down the knowledge silos. At the same time, the digital technologies enhance the ability of innovation agents to absorb and learn knowledge in regional innovation ecosystems under digitization, thereby increasing the infection rate of knowledge diffusion in such systems.These conclusions extend the theoretical boundaries of innovation ecosystems and knowledge diffusion and offer management implications for enterprises and governments in decision-making.

The Yihe River Basin is a key area for water conservation and soil erosion control in northern China. The excessive development of land resources is a major factor causing soil erosion and ecological degradation. However, the impacts of land use change on soil erosion in the basin are not yet clearly. Understanding the complex relationship between land use and soil erosion is an important way to promote the development of land resources utilization and ecological construction from cognition to decision-making. This study simulated the temporal-spatial changes of soil erosion in the basin from 1956 to 2020 using Integrated Valuation of Ecosystem Services and Tradeoffs (InVEST) model, and evaluated the changes of soil erosion under different land use scenarios from 2020 to 2050 using Future Land Use Simulation (FLUS) model. From 1956 to 2020, the overall soil erosion intensity showed a slight decreasing trend, and the average annual soil erosion modulus was 38.21 t/ha/year. Soil erosion intensity was higher in the central and northern mountainous areas, while it was lower in the flat alluvial plains in the south. Arable land (4.07 t/ha/year) was the largest contributor to the amount of soil erosion, and land use changes caused the soil erosion intensity to fluctuate and decrease after 1995. From 2020 to 2050, soil erosion varied widely under different land use scenarios, and the land use pattern targeting ecological priority development would effectively mitigate soil erosion. Therefore, optimizing land use patterns and structures are critical initiatives to prevent soil erosion.

Rain gauge networks provide direct precipitation measurements and have been widely used in hydrology, synoptic-scale meteorology, and climatology. However, rain gauge observations are subject to a variety of error sources, and quality control (QC) is required to ensure the reasonable use. In order to enhance the automatic detection ability of anomalies in data, the novel multi-source data quality control (NMQC) method is proposed for hourly rain gauge data. It employs a phased strategy to reduce the misjudgment risk caused by the uncertainty from radar and satellite remote-sensing measurements. NMQC is applied for the QC of hourly gauge data from more than 24,000 hydro-meteorological stations in the Yangtze River basin in 2020. The results show that its detection ratio of anomalous data is 1.73‰, only 1.73% of which are suspicious data needing to be confirmed by experts. Moreover, the distribution characteristics of anomaly data are consistent with the climatic characteristics of the study region as well as measurement and maintenance modes of rain gauges. Overall, NMQC has a strong ability to label anomaly data automatically, while identifying a lower proportion of suspicious data. It can greatly reduce manual intervention and shorten the impact time of anomaly data in the operational work. HIGHLIGHTS Quantitative and fusion application of radar and satellite data were addressed for the quality control (QC) of hourly rain gauge data.; Precipitation quality anomaly events were defined to improve the traceability of QC.; A phased QC strategy was adopted to reduce the misjudgment risk caused by the uncertainty of remote-sensing measurements.;

Clustering analysis of small watersheds is an effective tool for identifying the similarity of runoff generation and concentration. In this paper, 545 small watersheds in the hilly areas of Shandong Province were investigated, and 12 indicators representing their climate and subsurface characteristics were selected to identify communities based on hydrological similarity. We further analyzed the hydrological connections among the small watersheds within each community using three indicators (network mean, centrality, and k-core). Finally, the clustering results were evaluated on the basis of the small watershed flood peak modulus. The results of this complex network method indicate that the study area contained six large communities and nine small communities. The community-clustering results were reasonable and showed the interconnectedness of the watersheds within each community. The three network indicators adequately described the degree of similarity, the representativeness of the watersheds, and the spatial scales of similar hydrological features. This method should be helpful for addressing the issue of parameter transplantation in ungauged watersheds and implementation of a flood risk management strategy. HIGHLIGHTS Small watershed classification is conducted in a complex network approach.; Network evaluation metrics were used to represent hydrological linkages between small watersheds in the community.; The flood modulus of the small watersheds was calculated using the inference equation method for reasonableness verification.;

Abstract Micropeptides hidden in long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been uncovered to program various cell-biological changes associated with malignant transformation-glioblastoma (GBM) cascade. Here, we identified and characterized a novel hidden micropeptide implicated in GBM. We screened potential candidate lncRNAs by establishing a workflow involving ribosome-bound lncRNAs, publicly available MS/MS data, and prognosis-related lncRNAs. Micropeptide expression was detected by western blot (WB), immunofluorescence (IF), and immunohistochemistry (IHC). Cell proliferation rate was assessed by calcein/PI staining and EdU assay. Proteins interacted with the micropeptide were analyzed by proteomics after co-immunoprecipitation (Co-IP). We discovered that lncRNA AF127577.4 indeed encoded an endogenous micropeptide, named AF127577.4-ORF. AF127577.4-ORF was associated with GBM clinical grade. In vitro, AF127577.4-ORF could suppress GBM cell proliferation. Moreover, AF127577.4-ORF reduced m6A methylation level of GBM cells. Mechanistically, AF127577.4-ORF diminished ERK2 interaction with m6A reader methyltransferase like 3 (METTL3) and downregulated phosphorylated ERK (p-ERK) level. The ERK inhibitor reduced p-ERK level and downregulated METTL3 protein expression. AF127577.4-ORF weakened the stability of METTL3 protein by ERK. Also, AF127577.4-ORF suppressed GBM cell proliferation via METTL3. Our study identifies a novel micropeptide AF127577.4-ORF hidden in a lncRNA, with a potent anti-proliferating function in GBM by diminishing METTL3 protein stability by reducing the ERK2/METTL3 interaction. This micropeptide may be beneficial for development of therapeutic strategies against GBM.

Abstract Background Craniopharyngiomas (CPs) are generally derived from the craniopharyngeal duct epithelium, accounting for 38% and 24.5% of mortality in pediatric and adult patients, respectively. At present, the widespread application of the endoscopic endonasal transsphenoidal approach (EEA) has led to controversy between the traditional microscopic transcranial approach (TCA) and EEA in relation to the surgical management of CPs. Object and method We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis comparing the complications, surgical outcomes, and endocrine functions of patients with CPs to provide evidence-based decision-making in their surgical management. Result Overall, 11 observational studies with 12,212 participants were included in the meta-analysis, in which five of them only included an adult population, three of them only included a child population, and the other three studies included a mixed population (adult and child). In pediatric patients, the EEA achieved a higher gross total resection (GTR) rate (odds ratio (OR) = 5.25, 95%CI: 1.21–22.74), lower recurrence rate (OR = 0.54, 95%CI: 0.31–0.94, p = 0.030), and less hypopituitarism (OR = 0.34, 95%CI: 0.12–0.97, p = 0.043). In adult patients, EEA significantly improved mortality (OR = 0.09, 95%CI: 0.06–0.15, p

Abstract According to the latest cancer research data, there are a significant number of new cancer cases and a substantial mortality rate each year. Although a substantial number of clinical patients are treated with existing cancer drugs each year, the efficacy is unsatisfactory. The incidence is still high and the effectiveness of most cancer drugs remains unsatisfactory. Therefore, we evaluated the human proteins for their causal relationship to for cancer risk and therefore also their potential as drug targets. We used summary tumors data from the FinnGen and cis protein quantitative trait loci (cis-pQTL) data from a genome-wide association study, and employed Mendelian randomization (MR) to explore the association between potential drug targets and nine tumors, including breast, colorectal, lung, liver, bladder, prostate, kidney, head and neck, pancreatic caners. Furthermore, we conducted MR analysis on external cohort. Moreover, Bidirectional MR, Steiger filtering, and colocalization were employed to validate the main results. The DrugBank database was used to discover potential drugs of tumors. Under the threshold of False discovery rate (FDR)

In the clinical diagnosis and treatment of pituitary adenomas, MRI plays a crucial role. However, traditional manual interpretations are plagued by inter-observer variability and limitations in recognizing details. Radiomics, based on MRI, facilitates quantitative analysis by extracting high-throughput data from images. This approach elucidates correlations between imaging features and pituitary tumor characteristics, thereby establishing imaging biomarkers. Recent studies have demonstrated the extensive application of radiomics in differential diagnosis, subtype identification, consistency evaluation, invasiveness assessment, and treatment response in pituitary adenomas. This review succinctly presents the general workflow of radiomics, reviews pertinent literature with a summary table, and provides a comparative analysis with traditional methods. We further elucidate the connections between radiological features and biological findings in the field of pituitary adenoma. While promising, the clinical application of radiomics still has a considerable distance to traverse, considering the issues with reproducibility of imaging features and the significant heterogeneity in pituitary adenoma patients.

Deformation memory effect (DME) is a common property of the rock. A method called Deformation Rate Analysis (DRA) which is based on DME provides a brand-new approach to measuring in situ stress. When rock DME is applied in engineering, it is necessary to solve the problem that which stress peak is corresponding to in situ stress. The standard square samples made of sandstone and granite were selected to investigate the rock DME under different stress paths. Then a memory theoretical model based on multi-surface sliding friction hysteresis is used to analyze the mechanisms of rock DME. The results show that: (1) Rocks always remember the maximum peak stress from preloading, regardless of the sequence of multiple preloading; (2) Multi-memory exists in tests because we found another inflection in DRA curve; (3) The memory model based on sliding friction hysteresis shows the precision of memory information formation increases as the historical maximum peak value gets closer to the measurement load, but multi-memory does not exist in theoretical analysis. The conclusion provides the rule of rock DME under different stress path which would benefits in in situ stress reconstruction.

Acupuncture is an integral component of complementary and alternative medicine that has been reported to enhance sperm motility, improve semen quality, and consequently augment male fertility. However, the precise mechanisms of action and the underlying molecular pathways remain unclear. In the present study, we aimed to elucidate the potential mechanisms through which acupuncture improves reproductive function in a mouse model of cyclophosphamide-induced asthenozoospermia. We collected sperm from the epididymis for semen analysis, collected serum to determine gonadotropin and oxidative stress marker levels, conducted histological examination of testicular tissue using hematoxylin and eosin (HE) and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) staining, and observed mitochondrial morphology using transmission electron microscopy (TEM). We also assessed oxidative stress levels and total iron content in testicular tissue and validated the proteomic and transcriptomic analysis results of testicular tissue using real-time reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR), protein imprinting analysis, and immunohistochemistry (IHC). Our results indicate that acupuncture enhances sperm quality in asthenozoospermic mice; increases serum testosterone (T), follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), and luteinizing hormone (LH) levels; and attenuates oxidative damage, iron accumulation, and mitochondrial injury in mouse testicular tissues. Through protein and transcriptomic analyses, we identified 21 key genes, of which cytochrome b-245 heavy chain (CYBB), glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4), acyl-CoA synthetase long-chain family member 1 (ACSL1), and ferritin mitochondria (FTMT) were closely associated with ferroptosis. RT-qPCR, protein imprinting, and immunofluorescence (IF) analyses collectively indicated that acupuncture reduced ACSL1 and CYBB expression, and increased GPX4 and FTMT expression. Overall, the ferroptosis pathway associated with ACSL1/CYBB/FTMT/GPX4 represents a potential strategy through which acupuncture can improve the reproductive function in asthenozoospermic mice.

Purpose: To assess the quantitative gray matter volume of the limbic system in growth hormone-secreting pituitary adenoma (GHPAs) patients and its correlation to cognitive function. Method: 91 right-handed patients with pituitary adenomas were retrospectively included from the First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University −48 with GHPAs and 43 with non-functioning pituitary adenomas (NFPAs). Participants underwent serum hormone assessment, regular sellar MRI scanning with T1WI-MPRAGE. Cognitive function was gauged using MoCA and MMSE. Brain region auto-segmentation and gray matter volume calculation were conducted on the Brainsite platform. Results: Compared to NFPAs patients, GHPAs patients had higher gray matter volume (758,285 vs 674,610 mm³, p

Objectives To determine the dose-dependent associations between antenatal corticosteroids (ANS) exposure and the rates of major morbidities, and the early weight loss percentage (EWLP) in hospital among extremely preterm infants (EPI) or extremely low birthweight infants (ELBWI).Methods A multicentre, retrospective cohort study of EPI or ELBWI born between 2017 and 2018 was conducted. Infants were classified into no ANS, partial ANS and complete ANS exposure group; three subgroups were generated by gestational age and birth weight. Multiple logistic regression and multiple linear regression were performed.Results There were 725 infants included from 32 centres. Among no ANS, partial ANS and complete ANS exposure, there were significant differences in the proportions of bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) (24.5%, 25.4% and 16.1%), necrotising enterocolitis (NEC) (6.7%, 2.0% and 2.0%) and death (29.6%, 18.5% and 13.5%), and insignificant differences in the proportions of intraventricular haemorrhage (IVH) (12.5%, 13.2% and 12.2%), and extrauterine growth restriction (EUGR) (50.0%, 56.6% and 59.5%). In the logistic regression, compared with no ANS exposure, complete ANS reduced the risk of BPD (OR 0.58, 95% CI 0.37 to 0.91), NEC (OR 0.21, 95% CI 0.08 to 0.57) and death (OR 0.36, 95% CI 0.23 to 0.56), and partial ANS reduced the risk of NEC (OR 0.23, 95% CI 0.07 to 0.72) and death (OR 0.54, 95% CI 0.34 to 0.87). Compared with partial ANS exposure, complete ANS decreased the risk of BPD (OR 0.58, 95% CI 0.37 to 0.91). There were insignificant associations between ANS exposure and IVH, EUGR. In the multiple linear regression, partial and complete ANS exposure increased EWLP only in the ≥28 weeks (w) and

In order to obtain the change rule of surrounding rock structure displacement and supporting structure internal force with time during the construction of the low mountain ridge tunnel, this paper relies on the Xishan Tunnel Project as the background. During tunneling, the displacement around the tunnel, the subsidence of the surface, the internal force of the steel arch and the pressure between the two layers of support are monitored dynamically. According to the above monitoring and measurement data, and the monitoring data analysis and nonlinear regression fitting, the predicted trend curve is obtained, the displacement change rules and characteristics of various surrounding rocks of the tunnel are obtained, to ensure the construction safety and stability requirements of supporting structure, and to provide a reasonable opportunity for the construction of secondary lining.

The Qixia Formation in the foothills of Longmen Mountain in the western Sichuan Basin is gaining attention for oil and gas exploration. However, exploration of the Qixia Formation in the middle Longmen Mountain is insufficient. Consequently, it is essential to understand its stratigraphic sedimentary characteristics for guiding natural gas exploration. This study focuses on the Beichuan Tongkou section, combines field measurements, thin-section observation and trace element analyses to investigate the sequence stratigraphy and sedimentary features of the Qixia Formation, thereby defining its sedimentary environment. Within the Beichuan Tongkou section, which spans from the Liangshan Formation to the Qixia Formation, researchers have identified two third-order and one fourth-order sequence boundaries, delineating one third-order sequence and two fourth-order sequences. The sedimentary facies found in this interval include shore-swamp, open platform, and platform edge environments, which are further classified into four subfacies including open sea, intertidal sea, intra-platform beach, and platform edge beach. Additionally, three microfacies are identified including intra-platform bioclastic beach, platform edge bioclastic beach, and platform edge sand debris and bioclastic beach. The Qi1 member and lower part of the Qi2 member is located on an open platform, while the upper-middle part of the Qi2 member is found at the platform edge. This setup defines a sedimentary model for a carbonate-rimmed platform in the Qixia Formation of the middle Longmen Mountain. During the sedimentary period of the Qixia Formation, a warm, humid, and oxygen-rich marine environment supported abundant ancient organisms. In the highstand system tract of the upper-middle part of the Qi2 member, the Sr/Ba ratio is lowest, while the MgO/CaO ratio is highest, indicating elevated ancient water temperatures and specific chemical compositions. The m value, reflective of paleosalinity, is notably high, suggesting a shallow, high-energy platform edge environment away from the mainland. Thick, high-energy platform edge sand debris and bioclastic beaches in this area promote the development of high-quality porous dolomite reservoirs of beach facies. The sedimentary facies and reservoir conditions of the Qi2 member in the middle Longmen Mountain are comparable to those in other sections, making it a promising target for oil and gas exploration within the Qixia Formation and a potential strategic replacement area for reservoir expansion.

Abstract Background We assessed the value of positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) with [13N]N-ammonia ([13N]N-NH3) and [11C]C-methionine ([11C]C-MET) for the evaluation and management of recurrent secreting pituitary adenoma, which could not be detected by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or fluorine-18 fluorodeoxyglucose ([18F]F-FDG) PET. Methods Nine consecutive patients with biochemical and clinical evidence of active recurrent tumor not detected by MRI and [18F]F-FDG PET were enrolled in this study. All of the patients underwent [13N]N-NH3 and [11C]C-MET PET/CT, after which the pattern of tracer uptake was studied, the tumor position was located, and a clinical decision was made. Results In general, [11C]C-MET had a higher uptake in pituitary adenomas (PAs) than that in pituitary tissues, while [13N]N-NH3 had a higher uptake in pituitary tissue than in pituitary adenomas. Increased [11C]C-MET uptake was observed in all nine PAs and three pituitary tissues, while all pituitary tissues and only one pituitary adenoma showed increased [13N]N-NH3 uptake. Four patients had concordant imaging and surgical findings indicative of biochemical remission without hypopituitarism after treatment. Radiotherapy was adopted in two patients, medication in another two, and follow-up observation in one case. Conclusion Combined [11C]C-MET and [13N]N-NH3 PET/CT is effective in the differentiation of PAs from pituitary tissue in recurrent functional PAs with negative MRI or [18F]F-FDG PET. These results provide a valuable reference for further disease management.

Abstract. Background:. To perform anatomical anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR), tunnels should be placed relatively higher in the femoral anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) footprint based on the findings of direct and indirect femoral insertion. But the clinical results of higher femoral tunnels (HFT) in double-bundle ACLR (DB-ACLR) remain unclear. The purpose was to investigate the clinical results of HFT and lower femoral tunnels (LFT) in DB-ACLR. Methods:. From September 2014 to February 2016, 83 patients who underwent DB-ACLR and met the inclusion and exclusion criteria were divided into HFT-ACLR (group 1, n = 37) and LFT-ACLR (group 2, n = 46) according to the position of femoral tunnels. Preoperatively and at the final follow-up, clinical scores were evaluated with International Knee Documentation Committee (IKDC), Tegner activity, and Lysholm score. The stability of the knee was evaluated with KT-2000, Lachman test, and pivot-shift test. Cartilage degeneration grades of the International Cartilage Repair Society (ICRS) were evaluated on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Graft tension, continuity, and synovialization were evaluated by second-look arthroscopy. Return-to-sports was assessed at the final follow-up. Results:. Significantly better improvement were found for KT-2000, Lachman test, and pivot-shift test postoperatively in group 1 (P >0.05). Posterolateral bundles (PL) showed significantly better results in second-look arthroscopy regarding graft tension, continuity, and synovialization (P 0.05). No statistically significant differences were found in IKDC subjective score, Tegner activity, and Lysholm score between the two groups. Higher return-to-sports rate was found in group 1 with 86.8% (32/37) vs. 65.2% (30/46) in group 2 (P = 0.027). Conclusion:. The HFT-ACLR group showed better stability results, better PL, and higher return-to-sports rate compared to the LFT-ACLR group.

The acceleration of global urbanization has intensified land use activities, which threaten the ecological environment and hinder the achievement of sustainable socioeconomic development goals. With the background of continuous land use expansion, the reasonable management of land use and ecological protection has increasingly become an important issue. This study constructs an ecological security (ES) index to evaluate the ES pattern, and employs the Future Land-Use Simulation (FLUS) model for multi-scenario simulation of land use patterns in mountainous areas. The results showed that from 2000 to 2020, cultivated land and grassland showed a sharp decrease, with areas of −128.64 and −228.18 km² respectively, while forest land, urban land, and other construction land increased, with areas of 116.12, 31.21, and 120.69 km² respectively. Over time, the mountainous areas mainly exhibited low and moderate ES patterns. Furthermore, for 2020–2030, under the natural development scenario, cultivated land, forest land, and grassland will show a decrease, while urban and other construction land will show a sharp increase. In contrast, under the ecological protection scenario, ecological land will show significant increase, and the patch expansion of urban construction land will be smaller. These results confirm the positive contribution of ES protection effects to improving the land use development, and support insightful guidance for formulating policies on ecological management in mountainous areas.

ABSTRACTThe cellular automata (CA) model is the predominant method for predicting land use and land cover (LULC) changes. The accuracy of this model critically depends on well-defined transition rules, which encapsulate the local dynamics of complex systems and facilitate the manifestation of organized global patterns. While current studies largely concentrate on land use transition matrices as core elements of these rules, exclusive reliance on these matrices is insufficient for capturing the full spectrum of land use change potential. Addressing this gap, our research introduces the adaptive transition probability matrix with quality seeds (ATPMS) model, which incorporates both the Markov model and the genetic algorithm (GA) into the traditional CA framework. Furthermore, an artificial neural network (ANN) is utilized to determine land suitability. Implemented in Beijing, Wuhan, and the Pearl River Delta (PRD), our results indicate that the ATPMS-ANN-CA model surpasses the standard Markov-ANN-CA model in various validation metrics, displaying improvements in overall accuracy (OA) by 0.03% to 0.74% and figure of merit (FoM) by 3.67% to 63.14%. Additionally, the ATPMS-ANN-CA model excels in providing detailed landscape analysis.

Background: Mycobacterium abscessus (M. abscessus) infection is rare in children who were previously healthy, particularly in infants. We present the first report of a family outbreak of M. abscessus infection among immunocompetent infant triplets. Methods: We reviewed triplets’ demographic data, laboratory tests and imaging examinations to describe their clinical features. We performed whole-exome sequencing to rule out primary immunodeficiency disorders. We used DNA sequencing for M. abscessus subspecies identification. Results: The fraternal triplets (triples A, B and C) presented with a 10-day history of cough. Triple A also experienced a brief episode of fever, and triple B had tachypnea. Chest CT scans showed pulmonary masses and nodules in triples A and C, and cavities in triple B. Cultures of sputum and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid from all triplets yielded M. abscessus. Further subspecies identification showed that isolates from triples A and C were M. abscessus subsp. massiliense, and isolates from triple B were M. abscessus subsp. abscessus (MAA). After eight months of combination therapy, the pulmonary lesions of the triplets improved significantly. Conclusion: Our study confirms that M. abscessus pulmonary disease can occur in immunocompetent infants. We hypothesize that the simultaneous infection of the triplets may be associated with their prematurity and extensive environmental exposure. This study highlights the importance to include M. abscessus infection in the differential diagnosis of pulmonary masses and/or cavities, regardless of the age of onset or the presence of underlying pathology or susceptible genes.

Regional innovation ecosystems (RIEs) are a new paradigm in innovation research, and the development of RIEs under digitization is constrained by the development of innovation environments. The study of ecological niche suitability of regional innovation environment provides the basis for the government to create an innovation environment suitable for the development of a regional innovation ecosystem. This paper conducts an empirical analysis based on panel data from 29 provinces (autonomous regions) in China from 2012 to 2021. The paper analyzes the suitability of the ecological niche of the innovation environment as well as the spatio-temporal evolution pattern of the regional innovation ecosystem under digitalization in China. The results of the study show that: (1) The innovation environment of regional innovation ecosystems under digitization in China has become increasingly suitable during the sample period. (2) From the perspective of evolution in time, the suitability of the ecological niche of the regional innovation environment has always maintained an evolutionary trend of rolling forward in the echelon. (3) From the perspective of spatial evolution, the center line of the curve of the development level of the suitability of the regional innovation environment shows a rightward shifting evolution.

ObjectiveThis study aims to assess the comprehensive and integrated modulatory effects of acupuncture and electroacupuncture on various ovarian dysfunctions.MethodsWe systematically searched for articles on animal experiments related to polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), premature ovarian failure (POF), premature ovarian insufficiency (POI), and perimenopausal syndrome (PMS) across multiple databases, including PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, Embase, and four Chinese language databases. The search covered the period from inception to November 2023. We conducted a comparative analysis between the acupuncture group and the model group (untreated) based on eligible literature. Our primary outcomes encompassed serum sex hormones (Luteinizing hormone, Follicle-stimulating hormone, Testosterone, Estradiol, Progesterone, and Anti-Müllerian hormone) and ovarian weight. Dichotomous data were synthesized to establish the relative risk (RR) of notable post-treatment improvement, while continuous data were pooled to determine the standardized mean difference (SMD) in post-treatment scores between the groups. Statistical analyses, including sensitivity analysis, Egger's test, and the trim-and-fill method, were executed using Stata 15.0 software.ResultsThe meta-analysis encompassed 29 articles involving a total of 623 rats. In comparison to rat models of PCOS, the experimental group exhibited a reduction in serum levels of LH, T and LH/FSH ratio. However, no statistically significant differences were observed in AMH, FSH, E2 levels, and ovarian weight between the two groups. In the ovarian hypoplasia model rats, both acupuncture and electroacupuncture interventions were associated with an increase in E2 levels. However, the levels of LH and FSH did not exhibit a significant difference between the two groups.ConclusionsAcupuncture or electroacupuncture facilitates the restoration of ovarian function primarily through the modulation of serum sex hormones, exerting regulatory effects across various types of ovarian dysfunction disorders.Systematic review registrationhttps://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?ID=CRD42022316279

ObjectivesTo examine the epidemiological and clinical characteristics of hospitalized unintentional injuries among children in Central China and theoretically propose preventive and control measures.MethodsWe conducted a retrospective study of children aged 0–18 years with unintentional injuries who were admitted to a tertiary hospital in Central China from January 2017 to December 2023. We examined various aspects of the unintentional injuries, including age, gender, urban-rural distribution, external causes, trends, location of injury, cost, and length of stay.ResultsA total of 20,166 children with hospitalized unintentional injuries were enrolled. The median age with IQR was 2.8 (1.6, 5.1) years, with majority of the patients (57.0%) were aged 1–3 years, while the fewest were aged 11–18 years. The male-to-female ratio was 1.8:1, and the urban-to-rural ratio was 1.1:1. The most common external causes were foreign bodies (41.7%), exposure to inanimate mechanical forces (25.1%), and falls (22.1%). The most frequently injured body parts were head (72.5%). The total number of unintentional injuries exhibited an increasing trend from 2017–2022, and a decreasing trend from 2022–2023. The urban-rural distribution reversed after 2020. The overall hospitalization cost was 20,810,870.4 USD, with an median cost of 758.7 (556.4, 1,186.2) USD per person.ConclusionUnintentional injuries imposed a heavy burden on society and families. However, the number of cases and the urban-rural distribution showed significant trend changes from 2017–2023. The external causes varied by age group, gender, and region, while prevention and control measures should be developed accordingly.

BackgroundOwing to the long penetration depth of gamma (γ)-rays, individuals working in ionizing radiation environments are chronically exposed to low-dose γ-radiation, resulting in cognitive changes. Dose rate significantly affects radiation-induced biological effects; however, its role in chronic low-dose γ-irradiation-induced cognitive impairment remains unclear. We aimed to investigate whether chronic low-dose γ-irradiation at low-dose-rate (LDR) could induce cognitive impairment and to compare the cognitive alteration caused by chronic low-dose γ-irradiation at LDR and high-dose-rate (HDR).MethodsThe rats were exposed to γ-irradiation at a LDR of 6 mGy/h and a HDR of 20 mGy/h for 30 days (5 h/day). Functional imaging was performed to assess the brain inflammation and blood–brain barrier (BBB) destruction of rats. Histological and immunofluorescence analyses were used to reveal the neuron damage and the activation of microglia and astrocytes in the hippocampus. RNA sequencing was conducted to investigate changes in gene expression in hippocampus.ResultsThe rats in the LDR group exhibited more persistent cognitive impairment than those in the HDR group. Furthermore, irradiated rats showed brain inflammation and a compromised BBB. Histologically, the number of hippocampal neurons were comparable in the LDR group but were markedly decreased in the HDR. Additionally, activated M1-like microglia and A1-like astrocytes were observed in the hippocampus of rats in the LDR group; however, only M1-like microglia were activated in the HDR group. Mechanistically, the PI3K–Akt signaling pathway contributed to the different cognitive function change between the LDR group and HDR group.ConclusionCompared with chronic low-dose γ-irradiation at HDR, LDR induced more severe cognitive impairment which might involve PI3K/Akt signaling pathway.

Summary: The inheritance of recurrent patellar dislocation (RPD) is known, but the susceptible gene remains unidentified. Here, we performed the first whole exome sequencing (WES) cohort study to identify the susceptible genes. The results showed eight genes were associated with this disease. Notably, the carboxypeptidase D (CPD) gene showed the highest relevance based on its gene function and tissue expression. Single-cell sequencing results indicate that the CPD gene is involved in the pathophysiological process of RPD through granulocytes. Implicated pathways include nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB), mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), and Wnt/β-catenin signaling, potentially influencing CPD’s role in RPD pathogenesis. This study identified the susceptible gene and investigates the potential pathogenesis of RPD, which provided a new prospect for the understanding of RPD. Besides, it would offer the theoretical basis for disease prevention and genetic counseling.

Revisiting a newly reported modified Chen system by both the definitions of $ \alpha $-limit and $ \omega $-limit set, Lyapunov function and Hamiltonian function, this paper seized a multitude of pairs of potential heteroclinic orbits to (1) $ E_{0} $ and $ E_{\pm} $, or (2) $ E_{+} $ or (3) $ E_{-} $, and homoclinic and heteroclinic orbits on its invariant algebraic surface $ Q = z - \frac{x^{2}}{2a} = 0 $ with cofactor $ -2a $, which is not available in the existing literature to the best of our knowledge. Particularly, the theoretical conclusions were verified via numerical examples.

Lubrication and heat transfer control are two significant functions of mold fluxes. In order to coordinate the contradiction between lubrication and heat transfer, the effects of BaO and Li2O on basic characteristics of CaO-SiO2 based mold fluxes were studied by hemispherical melting temperature instrument, rotating cylinder method, X-ray diffractometer (XRD) in present study. The results show that the melting temperature and viscosity at 1300°C all represent a downward trend with BaO and Li2O enhancement at different basicity, and the break temperature decrease with BaO addition while decrease and then increase with Li2O addition, which illustrates that Li2O content should be no more than 0.8 wt% for the purpose of lubrication. Meanwhile, to ensure a sufficient thickness of the liquid slag film and avoid discontinuity of the liquid slag film, the BaO content is better to be 10 wt% with low melting temperature and viscosity. The main crystalline phase in the mold fluxes is cuspidine (3CaO·2SiO2·CaF2), and the crystallization ratio rises sharply when basicity increased to 1.65. For better deal with the contradiction of lubrication and heat transfer, the mold fluxes composition w(BaO) = 10 wt%, w(Li2O) = 0.8 wt%, R ≥1.65 is reasonable, which has a profound impact on high crystallization and lubricity mold fluxes.

In this study, novel ergosterol peroxide (EP) derivatives were synthesized and evaluated to assess their antiproliferative activity against four human cancer cell lines (A549, HepG2, MCF-7, and MDA-MB-231). Compound 3g exhibited the most potent antiproliferative activity, with an IC50 value of 3.20 µM against MDA-MB-231. This value was 5.4-fold higher than that of the parental EP. Bioassay optimization further identified 3g as a novel glutaminase 1 (GLS1) inhibitor (IC50 = 3.77 µM). In MDA-MB-231 cells, 3g reduced the cellular glutamate levels by blocking the glutamine hydrolysis pathway, which triggered reactive oxygen species production and induced caspase-dependent apoptosis. Molecular docking indicated that 3g interacts with the reaction site of the variable binding pocket by forming multiple interactions with GLS1. In a mouse model of breast cancer, 3g showed remarkable therapeutic effects at a dose of 50 mg/kg, with no apparent toxicity. Based on these results, 3g could be further evaluated as a novel GLS1 inhibitor for triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) therapy.

Aiming to explore the subtle connection between the number of nonlinear terms in Lorenz-like systems and hidden attractors, this paper introduces a new simple sub-quadratic four-thirds-degree Lorenz-like system, where x˙=a(y−x), y˙=cx−x3z, z˙=−bz+x3y, and uncovers the following property of these systems: decreasing the powers of the nonlinear terms in a quadratic Lorenz-like system where x˙=a(y−x), y˙=cx−xz, z˙=−bz+xy, may narrow, or even eliminate the range of the parameter c for hidden attractors, but enlarge it for self-excited attractors. By combining numerical simulation, stability and bifurcation theory, most of the important dynamics of the Lorenz system family are revealed, including self-excited Lorenz-like attractors, Hopf bifurcation and generic pitchfork bifurcation at the origin, singularly degenerate heteroclinic cycles, degenerate pitchfork bifurcation at non-isolated equilibria, invariant algebraic surface, heteroclinic orbits and so on. The obtained results may verify the generalization of the second part of the celebrated Hilbert’s sixteenth problem to some degree, showing that the number and mutual disposition of attractors and repellers may depend on the degree of chaotic multidimensional dynamical systems.

The cold-rolled non-oriented silicon steel sheets with a Si content of 2.4 wt.%, produced by continuous and reversible cold rolling, were used as the experimental material. The effects of annealing temperature on the microstructure, texture, and magnetic properties were studied by optical microscopy, an X-ray diffractometer, and a magnetic property measuring instrument. The experimental results showed that the dominant texture components at the surface of both sheets were almost the same, i.e., α and γ fibers. After annealing at 920 °C for 30 s, a complete recrystallization occurred in both sheets. When annealing below 1070 °C, the average grain sizes of continuous cold-rolled sheets were slightly higher than those of reversible cold-rolled ones. Additionally, for all specimens, the recrystallization texture components were γ fiber, as well as weak α fiber, λ fiber, and Goss texture. Additionally, the difference was the texture intensity. The iron losses of the finished products of continuous cold rolling were lower than those of the finished products of reversible cold rolling with the increase in annealing temperature, and the magnetic induction was higher than that of the finished products of reversible cold rolling.

The equilibrium state of hydrogen sulfide (H2S), a gaseous signaling molecule produced by lysosomal metabolites, in vivo is crucial for cellular function. Abnormal fluctuations in H2S concentration can interfere with the normal function of lysosomes, which has been closely linked to the pathogenesis of a variety of diseases. In view of this, a novel fluorescent probe Lyso-DPP based on 1,3,5-triarylpyrazolines was developed for the precise detection of H2S in lysosomes by using the hydrophilic morpholine moiety as a lysosomal targeting unit, and 2,4-dinitroanisole as a fluorescence-quenching and H2S-responsive unit. The probe cleverly combines the advantages of simple synthesis, sensitive blue fluorescence turn-on with a limit of detection, LOD, of 97.3 nM, good stability, and fast response time (10 min), which makes Lyso-DPP successful in portable monitoring of meat freshness in the form of test strips. Moreover, the excellent biocompatibility and precise targeting capability of the probe Lyso-DPP make it perform well in the monitoring of H2S in lysosomes, living cells, and zebrafish. This work not only provides new technical tools for food quality control but also paves up new ideas for early diagnosis and treatment of H2S-related diseases.

(1) Background: Although daily time-use is associated with diet quality and cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) in children, their interdependence remains unexplored. This study first examined the associations between reallocating daily movement time and diet quality and CRF, and second the mediating role of diet quality in the relationship between daily time-use and CRF. (2) Methods: This study included 1131 Chinese children (aged 8 to 10 years; median [interquartile range]: 8.5 [8.3, 8.8]) at baseline (September 2022) and 1268 children at the 9-month follow-up (June 2023) from the OptiChild study. Daily durations of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA), sleep, and sedentary behavior (e.g., screen time) were self-reported or proxy-reported by parents. Diet quality was assessed via the Diet Quality Questionnaire (DQQ), which uses a 24 h dietary recall and is categorized according to the Global Dietary Recommendations (GDR) score and Food Group Diversity Score (FGDS). The CRF was measured using VO2max after the 20 m shuttle run test. Longitudinal associations between daily time-use, diet quality, and CRF were calculated using isotemporal substitution models. Mediation analyses were used to determine whether diet quality mediated the associations between daily time-use and CRF. (3) Results: Reallocation of 30 min from screen time to MVPA resulted in significant improvements in the GDR score (β baseline = 0.11, p = 0.024; β follow-up = 0.26, p < 0.001), FGDS (β baseline = 0.11, p = 0.006; β follow-up = 0.19, p < 0.001), and CRF (β baseline = 0.40, p < 0.001; β follow-up = 0.26, p = 0.001). Diet quality partially mediated the associations between MVPA, screen time, and CRF. Substituting 30 min of screen time for MVPA led to diet quality mediating a proportion of the association with CRF (GDR score: 11.4%, FGDS: 6.6%). (4) Conclusions: These findings underscore the importance of optimizing daily time-use of MVPA and screen time and improving diet quality to promote physical fitness in school-aged children.

The turbine disk-drum is one of the key components of an aero-engine and its assembly is connected with high-strength refined screws. But due to the uncoordinated rotation and deformation, the screws have abnormal wear damage. Through detailed contact stress analysis of screw body and component level using the finite element method, combined with experimental observation, the mechanism of wear damage of screw surface in screws is determined. It mainly includes the following: Firstly, the finite element method is used to calculate the deformation and stress distribution of the connecting screw of the turbine disk-drum assembly. Then, after the overspeed test, the morphology of the screws disassembled from the disk-drum assembly is evaluated. It was found that the wear degree in the circumferential direction and axial direction of the screw was quite different, that is, the screw wear experiment was consistent with the finite element analysis results. Finally, the influence of different rotation states and screw tightening states on screw wear was compared and analyzed. Conclusions obtained in this paper will be helpful to improve the assembly reliability of turbine drum.

Understanding the edulcorant profile of synthetic glucosyl steviol glycosides (GSGs) and rare natural steviol glycosides (SGs) is challenging due to their numerous species and rareness. This study developed a computational model based on the interactions of SG molecules with human sweet and bitter taste receptors (hSTR/hBTR). The models demonstrated a high correlation between the cumulative interaction energies and the perceived sweetness of SGs (R2 = 0.97), elucidating the mechanism of the diverse sweetness of SGs. It also revealed that more (within three) glucose residues at the C-13 position of the SG molecule yield stronger sweetness and weaker bitterness. Furthermore, the computational prediction was consistently validated with the known sweetness of GSG and also aligned well with that of several natural mogrosides. Thus, this model possesses a potential to predict the sweetness of SGs, GSGs, and mogrosides, facilitating the application or targeted synthesis of GSGs with desired sensory profiles.

Abstract Using a sample of 124 countries assisted by China from 2000 to 2019, this paper examines the impact of foreign aid on outward foreign direct investment (OFDI) and the mitigation mechanism of risk. The research finds that, first, foreign aid can significantly reduce the country risk of recipient countries, especially political risk and financial risk, and thus play a role in promoting the inflow of OFDI of donor countries, and there is a lagged effect of this role; Second, foreign aid from other countries has a negative impact on China's OFDI to recipient countries, indicating that foreign aid is nonaltruistic and exclusive; Third, the mitigation effect of foreign aid on country risk is achieved through five channels: compensation effect, synergistic effect, pioneer effect, assimilation effect, and redistribution effects.

The development of intensive care medicine is inseparable from the diversified monitoring data. Intensive care medicine has been closely integrated with data since its birth. Critical care research requires an integrative approach that embraces the complexity of critical illness and the computational technology and algorithms that can make it possible. Considering the need of standardization of application of big data in intensive care, Intensive Care Medicine Branch of China Health Information and Health Care Big Data Society, Standard Committee has convened expert group, secretary group and the external audit expert group to formulate Chinese Experts’ Consensus on the Application of Intensive Care Big Data (2022). This consensus makes 29 recommendations on the following five parts: Concept of intensive care big data, Important scientific issues, Standards and principles of database, Methodology in solving big data problems, Clinical application and safety consideration of intensive care big data. The consensus group believes this consensus is the starting step of application big data in the field of intensive care. More explorations and big data based retrospective research should be carried out in order to enhance safety and reliability of big data based models of critical care field.

In contrast to the coexistence of infinitely many pseudo and true singularly degenerate heteroclinic cycles with nearby two-scroll hyperchaotic Lorenz-like attractors coined in four-dimensional systems, this note reports the ones with nearby bifurcated chaotic attractors in a new 3D cubic Lorenz-like system. Except for the rabbit head/boat shape two-scroll attractors, there exist globally exponentially asymptotically stable parabolic type equilibria and a pair of heteroclinic orbits. In addition, numerical simulations also validate the correctness of the theoretical analysis.

Large-scale rotating mechanical equipment in the mining arena plays a pivotal role in mining production, where vibration issues directly influence production efficiency and safety. This Review aims to provide a comprehensive review of the latest advancements and methodologies related to the generation mechanisms, identification, and applications of vibrational characteristics in large-scale mining rotating mechanical equipment. Semi-autogenous mills, ball mills, and coal mills are selected as archetype equipment, and the Lagrangian motion equation is employed to unveil the generation mechanisms of vibrations and the embedded physical information in the signals of these machines. Initially, the research delves deeply into the acquisition, extraction, and identification of vibrational signal features, emphasizing that while mechanical vibration signals can reveal the internal operational state and fault information of machinery, there remains a need to enhance their capability to depict complex vibrational signals. Subsequently, this Review discusses in depth the studies focused on predicting the vibrational state of equipment by establishing accurate and reliable soft measurement models, pointing out that current models still have room for improvement in prediction accuracy and generalization capabilities. Conclusively, based on the elucidation of mechanical vibration mechanisms and the collation and outlook of the existing research study, the importance of on-site monitoring, deep learning, Internet of Things technology, and full lifecycle management is accentuated. To better support practical engineering applications, further exploration into the physical properties of vibrational signals and the mechanisms of mechanical vibrations is essential.

Objective: According to the 2020 data from the World Health Organization (WHO), cancers stand as one of the foremost contributors to global mortality. Revealing novel cancer risk factors and protective factors is of paramount importance in the prevention of disease occurrence. Studies on the relationship between chemokines and cancer are ongoing; however, due to the coordination of multiple potential mechanisms, the specific causal association remains unclear.Methods: We performed a bidirectional Mendelian randomization analysis to explore the causal association between serum chemokines and pan-carcinoma. All data is from the GWAS catalog and IEU Open GWAS database. The inverse-variance weighted (IVW) method is primarily employed for assessing the statistical significance of the findings. In addition, the significance threshold after the multiple hypothesis test (Bonferroni) was 0.0013, and the evidence of a potential association was considered if the p-value < 0.05, but remained greater than Bonferroni’s threshold.Results: The results indicate that CCL1 (odds ratio, OR = 1.18), CCL2 (OR = 1.04), CCL8 (OR = 1.36), CCL14 (Colorectal, OR = 1.08, Small intestine, OR = 0.77, Lung, OR = 1.11), CCL15 (OR = 0.85), CCL18 (Breast, OR = 0.95, Prostate, OR = 0.96), CCL19 (Lung, OR = 0.66, Prostate, OR = 0.92), CCL20 (Lung, OR = 0.53, Thyroid, OR = 0.76), CCL21 (OR = 0.62), CCL22 (OR = 2.05), CCL23 (OR = 1.31), CCL24 (OR = 1.06), CCL27 (OR = 1.49), CCL28 (OR = 0.74), CXCL5 (OR = 0.95), CXCL9 (OR = 3.60), CXCL12 (Breast, OR = 0.87, Small intestine, OR = 0.58), CXCL13 (Breast, OR = 0.93, Lung, OR = 1.29), CXCL14 (Colon, OR = 1.40) and CXCL17 (OR = 1.07) are potential risk factors for cancers. In addition, there was a reverse causal association between CCL1 (OR = 0.94) and CCL18 (OR = 0.94) and breast cancer. Sensitivity analysis results were similar. The results of the other four MR Methods were consistent with the main results, and the leave-one-out method showed that the results were not driven by a Single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP). Moreover, there was no heterogeneity and pleiotropy in our analysis.Conclusion: Based on the two-sample MR Analysis method, we found that chemokines might be upstream factors of cancer pathogenesis. These results might provide new insights into the future use of chemokines as potential targets for cancer prevention and treatment. Our results also provide important clues for tumor prevention, and changes of serum chemokine concentration may be recognized as one of the features of precancerous lesions in future clinical trials.

Evidence suggests city grouping is an important way to implement urbanization in China. However, the Chengdu-Chongqing Economic Circle (CCEC) is a typical dual-core structure, and the development level of each city is different. If we do not focus on the key directions for urban development, it will not be conducive to the new-type urbanization process. Therefore, we use spatial analysis techniques and geographic big data sets to construct an approach for urban system layout optimization from a global perspective. It mainly includes urban extended trend analysis based on night light, multi-modal traffic network analysis, and spatial economic density analysis using Open Street Map (OSM) and Point of Interest (POI) data. The research results show the following interesting findings. Firstly, the historical relationship of cities has a significant impact on city grouping, and efficient transportation connections and prosperous enterprise distribution are key conditions for urban grouping during the acceleration period of urbanization. Secondly, the development of urban grouping should break through administrative restrictions and achieve a moderate separation of administrative divisions and economic divisions. It is beneficial to the rapid growth of the city group and the improvement of the internal structure. Thirdly, the urban group of Southern Sichuan and Western Chongqing (SSWC) is the region with the most potential for growth in CCEC. The urban expansion index (UEI) of the Yibin-Luzhou area is 2.16, and the spatial economic density has increased by 130/km2 in the past decade. Providing flexible development authority and focus on the construction of the Yibin-Luzhou Urban Belt along the Yangtze River is an important way to integrate southern Sichuan. Moreover, we found the UEI has a good universality and it can be used for studying urban expansion trends and city relationships in rapidly developing regions, especially in metropolitan areas or urban agglomeration.

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of electroacupuncture (EA) on ulcerative colitis (UC) and explore the influence of EA parameters and acupoint compatibility to optimize the clinical treatment plan. Methods: After searching eight databases, data were extracted and analyzed to determine the quality and bias of the study's methodological design, and randomized controlled trial (RCT) datas were meta-analyzed. Results: Twelve studies that meet the criteria were included. The results of meta-analysis indicated that, compared with the control group, experimental group had better clinical efficacy [RR = 1.27, 95%CI = (1.19, 1.36), P

Abstract Little seems to be considered about the globally exponentially asymptotical stability of parabolic type equilibria and the existence of heteroclinic orbits in the Lorenz-like system with high-order nonlinear terms. To achieve this target, by adding the nonlinear terms yz and $$x^{2}y$$ x 2 y to the second equation of the system, this paper introduces the new 3D cubic Lorenz-like system: $$\dot{x}=a(y - x)$$ x ˙ = a ( y - x ) , $$\dot{y}=b_{1}y+b_{2}yz+b_{3}xz+b_{4}x^{2}y$$ y ˙ = b 1 y + b 2 y z + b 3 x z + b 4 x 2 y , $$\dot{z}= -cz + y^{2}$$ z ˙ = - c z + y 2 , which does not belong to the generalized Lorenz systems family. In addition to giving rise to generic and degenerate pitchfork bifurcation, Hopf bifurcation, hidden Lorenz-like attractors, singularly degenerate heteroclinic cycles with nearby chaotic attractors, etc., one still rigorously proves that not only the parabolic type equilibria $$S_{x} = \{(x, x, \frac{x^{2}}{c})|x\in \mathbb {R}, c\ne 0\}$$ S x = { ( x , x , x 2 c ) | x ∈ R , c ≠ 0 } are globally exponentially asymptotically stable, but also there exists a pair of symmetrical heteroclinic orbits with respect to the z-axis, as most other Lorenz-like systems. This study may offer new insights into revealing some other novel dynamic characteristics of the Lorenz-like system family.

Abstract Fractures are widely present in geomaterials of civil engineering and deep underground engineering. Given that geomaterials are usually brittle, the fractures can significantly affect the evaluation of underground engineering construction safety and the early warning of rock failure. However, the crack initiation and propagation in brittle materials under composite loading remain unknown so far. In this study, a three‐dimensional internal laser‐engraved cracking technique was applied to produce internal cracks without causing damage to the surfaces. The uniaxial compression tests were performed on a brittle material with internal cracks to investigate the propagation of these internal cracks at different dip angles under compression and shear. The test results show that the wing crack propagation mainly occurs in the specimen with an inclined internal crack, which is a mixed‐Mode I–II–III fracture; in contrast, Mode I fracture is present in the specimen with a vertical internal crack. The fractography characteristics of Mode III fracture display a lance‐like pattern. The fracture mechanism in the brittle material under compression is that the internal wing cracks propagate to the ends of the whole sample and cause the final failure. The initial deflection angle of the wing crack is determined by the participation ratio of stress intensity factors KII to KI at the tip of the internal crack.

In order to solve the problem of missing record of temperature observation, taking the Hubei Province in 2020 as an example, we selected three methods, that is, Inverse Distance Weighted (IDW), Ordinary Kriging (OK) and Multiple Linear Regression (MLR), to interpolate the missing values of daily mean temperature (T), maximum temperature (Tmax), and minimum temperature (Tmin). Based on this interpolation results, using the average absolute error (MAE), we evaluated the interpolation results obtained by these three methods. The results show that the MAE of Tmax, Tmin and T obtained with the MLR interpolation is the lowest, which are 0.41℃, 0.31℃, and 0.20℃, respectively. Meanwhile, the interpolation errors of T at all stations are less than 1℃. Compared with IDW and OK, the MAE spatial distribution of interpolation results obtained with MLR is more uniform with slight changes with altitude and seasons. Single station test shows that the more samples used for MLR model is and the greater the sample time dispersion is, the better the interpolation effect of MLR on temperature is. On the whole, the interpolation effect of MLR on missing values of daily temperature from regional stations is the best, IDW is the second, and OK is the worst. For establishing long-term continuous temperature datasets of meteorological stations, MLR is more suitable for solving the problem of missing records of daily temperature from regional automatic weather station (AWS).

As offshore wind farms move into deeper waters and the capacity of offshore wind turbines (OWTs) increases, a new type of OWT foundation needs to be developed. In this study, a new type of five-bucket jacket foundation (FBJF) was proposed based on the broad application of a multi-bucket jacket foundation (MBJF) in offshore wind farms. The soil around the OWT foundation is subject to scour due to the complex marine environment. To investigate the effects of scouring on the FBJF, a series of local-scour simplified finite-element models of the FBJF were established using ABAQUS, and the effects of scouring depth and the extent on the bearing capacity of the FBJF with the monotonic load were analyzed. Then, the failure envelopes of the FBJF under combined loading were obtained using the fixed-displacement ratio method, and the effects of various scour conditions on the failure envelopes were compared. The results indicate that the failure envelope profile contracts inward, and the bearing capacity decreases with the increasing scouring depth and extent. Furthermore, the failure envelopes of the FBJF under different vertical loads were calculated, and the FV-FH-FM failure envelopes of the FBJF were obtained through interpolation. Finally, the effects of different scour conditions on the FV-FH-FM failure envelopes of the FBJF were analyzed. The results show that the FV-FH-FM failure envelopes of the FBJF have similar profiles and follow the same trend under different scour conditions.

To enhance the safety of the in-water sinking operation for an integrated system, including a bucket foundation (BF), tower, and rotor nacelle assembly (RNA), in complex marine environmental conditions, a model test of in-water sinking for an offshore wind turbine and bucket foundation (OWT–BF) is conducted. The motion behavior of the OWT–BF and the sling tensions during the in-water sinking process are investigated, and the numerical method is validated through test results. The results demonstrate a positive correlation between the wave height and motion response of the OWT–BF. The most critical stage of the in-water sinking operation occurs when the top cover of the bucket is fully submerged, resulting from the substantial cross-sectional difference between the bucket base and the transition section. Furthermore, the closer the OWT–BF is to the seabed, the less it is affected by waves in terms of motion response. It is advisable to conduct the in-water sinking operation of the OWT–BF in sea states with wave heights below 1.5 m. Simultaneously, slings can efficiently control the motion response of the OWT–BF, thereby enhancing the safety of the sinking operation.

Abstract This study proposes a small sample recognition method for radar waveforms based on data enhancement of ambiguity function generative adversarial networks (AFGAN) to address the issue of low recognition rate and unbalanced class recognition rate. First, the concept of ambiguity function efficient contour lines (AFECL) and AFECL subject resolution constant are proposed in order to effectively extract radar waveform features. Based on this, the AFGAN model is proposed for radar waveform data enhancement. Simulation experiments classified and identified six types of radar waveforms, which verifies the effectiveness of the model. The experimental results show that the overall recognition rate is increased by 18.64%–99.25% and the class recognition unbalance is reduced by 40.67%–1.33% under the condition of small samples. Compared with short‐time Fourier transform (STFT) and Wigner‐Ville distribution (WVD), the proposed AFECL features are more suitable for recognition in small samples, and the AFGAN model performs significantly better than that of the classical data enhancement models GAN and general WGAN‐GP. The signal recognition rate reached 94.28% when the SNR was −8 dB. The effectiveness of the AFGAN data enhancement method is verified using comparative experiments.