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With the rapid advancement of big data industry, professional education pertaining to big data has garnered substantial global recognition. However, the gap between practical teaching methodologies and real-world application scenarios represents a significant hurdle in fostering skilled big data professionals. To address this challenge, this paper proposes the construction of a comprehensive digital case library tailored for core courses in big data. This library, alongside innovative integration strategies, aims to bridge the gap between theory and practice. This paper outlines a structured approach to establish a systematic and serialized data resource case library, adopting a dynamic hierarchical design that comprehensively illustrates the entire big data processing workflow while enabling dynamic expansion. The objective is to contribute to the enhancement of big data curricula and practical teaching, ultimately empowering the practical abilities cultivation of big data professionals. Taking the digital case study of "high-risk population cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disease" as an example, this paper delves into the curriculum model and implementation strategies that seamlessly integrate case resources with theoretical teachings. Through collaboration with a national data center, we achieve a close alignment between practical teaching and real-world application scenarios. The construction of this caselibrary resource will bolster the theoretical acumen and practical proficiencies of big data professionals.

Patients suffering from stage Ⅳ periodontitis manifest substantial alveolar bone destruction and pronounced tooth loss, frequently accompanied by masticatory dysfunction, occlusal disorder and tooth displacement or torsion. Standard periodontal interventions alone are insufficient to stabilize the condition, address masticatory dysfunction, and enhance patients’ quality of life. Hence, intricate reconstructive and interdisciplinary regimens, encompassing orthodontic treatment, are often indispensable. Orthodontic therapy can optimize the masticatory function and esthetic appearance of patients, and promote periodontal well-being. However, individuals with stage Ⅳ periodontitis present with inadequate periodontal support tissue and a heightened risk profile, rendering their orthodontic management a considerable clinical challenge. This article reviews the orthodontic considerations and optimal timing for intervention in patients with stage Ⅳ periodontitis and presents a representative case of combined periodontal-orthodontic-orthognathic treatment for periodontitis(stage Ⅳ, grade C), in order to provide reference for periodontists and orthodontists.

Abstract Bacterial pneumonia is a significant public health burden, contributing to substantial morbidity, mortality, and healthcare costs. Current therapeutic strategies beyond antibiotics and adjuvant therapies are limited, highlighting the need for a deeper understanding of the disease pathogenesis. Here, we employed single-cell RNA sequencing of 444,146 bronchoalveolar lavage fluid cells (BALFs) from a large cohort of 74 individuals, including 58 patients with mild (n = 22) and severe (n = 36) diseases as well as 16 healthy donors. Enzyme‐linked immunosorbent and histological assays were applied for validation within this cohort. The heterogeneity of immune responses in bacterial pneumonia was observed, with distinct immune cell profiles related to disease severity. Severe bacterial pneumonia was marked by an inflammatory cytokine storm resulting from systemic upregulation of S100A8/A9 and CXCL8, primarily due to specific macrophage and neutrophil subsets. In contrast, mild bacterial pneumonia exhibits an effective humoral immune response characterized by the expansion of T follicular helper and T helper 2 cells, facilitating B cell activation and antibody production. Although both disease groups display T cell exhaustion, mild cases maintained robust cytotoxic CD8+T cell function, potentially reflecting a compensatory mechanism. Dysregulated neutrophil and macrophage responses contributed significantly to the pathogenesis of severe disease. Immature neutrophils promote excessive inflammation and suppress T cell activation, while a specific macrophage subset (Macro_03_M1) displaying features akin to myeloid-derived suppressor cells (M-MDSCs) suppress T cells and promote inflammation. Together, these findings highlight potential therapeutic targets for modulating immune responses and improving clinical outcomes in bacterial pneumonia.

To address the limitations of strong feature dependency, insufficient generalization, and inadequate performance in few-shot/cold-start settings in existing multimodal social media popularity prediction algorithms, a MultiSmpLLM model based on large language model with instruction fine-tuning and human alignment was proposed. Firstly, the task of multimodal social media popularity prediction for cold-start users was defined. Secondly, multimodal fine-tuning instructions were constructed, and the large language model (Llama3) was instructionally fine-tuned using the low-rank adaptation (LoRA) and parameter freeze (Freeze) method. Finally, an improved direct preference optimization (DPO) algorithm IDPOP was developed by constructing preference data and adding a parameter-tuned penalty to the DPO loss function, resolving instability and non-convergence in RLHF and incorrect optimization in standard DPO for social media popularity prediction. Experiments show MultiSmpLLM outperforms conventional multimodal prediction models and multimodal large language models such as GPT-4o.

[Objective] To determine the feasibility of preparing plasminogen (Pg) with Fraction Ⅲ precipitation (hereinafter referred to as FⅢ-P) from low-temperature ethanol process by full chromatography (hereinafter referred to as FⅢ-P process). [Methods] The FⅢ-P was diluted with dissolution buffer at different dilution times and stirring time. The potency and antigen concentration of Pg in dissolution sample were detected and the dissolution and clarification conditions were determined. Pre-treatment of loading sample and pre-experiment of affinity chromatography were carried out on the FⅢ-P dissolution sample to judge whether the loading sample had an impact on the chromatography by observing the performance of the affinity chromatography column and to evaluate whether the affinity chromatography could achieve the purpose of purifying Pg by detecting the plasma protein antigen concentration and Pg potency of the samples in the process. Two batches of FⅢ-P process were studied step by step, and the specific activity, steps and total recovery, and the output of Pg per ton of plasma were calculated. The feasibility of preparing Pg by FⅢ-P process was evaluated by comparing with the data of full chromatography process using plasma as raw material (hereinafter referred to as plasma process). [Results] The FⅢ-P was dissolved with 10 times of dissolution buffer, stirred for 1 hour, centrifuged at room temperature of 10 000×g for 15 minutes. The supernatant was first filtered with a screen, then clarified with an 8/0.8 μm filter, and finally filtered with a 0.45/0.2 μm filter and loaded. Pre-test showed that from clarification and filtration to Pg affinity chromatography, the step recovery of activity and antigen was 39.51% and 108.64%, respectively, the antigen concentration of Pg increased by 31.16 times and the activity increased by 11.39 times after affinity chromatography, which reaching the effect of affinity chromatography purification of Pg. The results of 2 batches of step-by-step scale-up FⅢ-P process showed that the total recoveries of antigen and activity from plasma to SP chromatography of FⅢ-P process were (45.76±1.10)% and (24.15±0.59)%, respectively, which had a total loss of about 1/3 of antigen and about 2/3 of activity compared to the plasma process. The Pg specific activity of SP chromatography eluent was (4.68±0.25) U/mg, which was about half of that of plasma process, but meeted the internal standard of > 4 U/mg. The output of Pg antigen per ton of plasma in the FⅢ-P process was 68.73% of that in the plasma process, and the output of Pg activity per ton of plasma in the plasma process was 29.82% of that in the plasma process, which basically achieved the purpose of waste utilization of FⅢ-P. [Conclusion] The technical route of preparing Pg from FⅢ-P by full chromatography is feasible.

Abstract Background The majority of robot-assisted total joint arthroplasties necessitate preoperative computed tomography (CT) scans. Incidental findings in these CT scans can introduce complexity into clinical treatment decisions. Consequently, this study sought to document the nature and frequency of incidental findings identified in preoperative CT imaging conducted for robot-assisted total joint arthroplasty, along with their impact on planned surgical procedures. Methods This investigation constitutes a retrospective review encompassing patients who underwent primary robot-assisted total hip arthroplasty between January 2020 and January 2022 at the Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi’an Jiaotong University, the First Affiliated Hospital of Peking University, and Nanfang Hospital. It also includes patients who underwent robot-assisted total knee arthroplasty during the same period at the Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi’an Jiaotong University, the Third Affiliated Hospital of Peking University, Nanfang Hospital, and the Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University. All CT examinations were initially interpreted by proficient musculoskeletal radiologists. Subsequently, the findings in the examination reports, whether significant or non-significant, were compiled and categorized. Results A total of 218 patients, median age 63, were evaluated; 90 had incidental findings (41.3%), with 56 (25.7%) significant. Males were more likely to have findings (P = 0.001). Nine needed additional imaging, and five required intervention.Our study highlights the impact of unexpected CT findings on surgical planning, which can delay or cancel surgeries and affect patient outcomes. It also urges surgeons to review medical histories and perform thorough examinations before surgery to prevent serious consequences. Conclusions Radiologists often find incidental findings in preoperative CT scans for robot-assisted joint arthroplasty, with a 41.3% incidence rate. About 25.7% of these findings need physician follow-up, and under 5% require intervention, potentially causing delays or cancellations of procedures, while undetected findings could lead to fatal outcomes.Unexpected preoperative CT findings can enhance patient management and prevent complications, necessitating their inclusion in surgical protocols. Systematic assessment improves safety and outcomes, urging surgeons to review medical history and perform thorough examinations pre-surgery. Clinical trial registration Clinical trial registration time: 19/05/2022, clinical trial registration number: ChiCTR2200060115.

Abstract Background Thoracic epidural anesthesia (TEA) is associated with a knowledge gap regarding its mechanisms in lung protection and reduction of postoperative pulmonary complications (PPCs). Driving pressure (ΔP), an alternative indicator of alveolar strain, is closely linked to reduced PPCs with lower ΔP values. We aim to investigate whether TEA contributes to lung protection by lowering ΔP during mechanical ventilation. Methods In this prospective, randomized, patient and evaluator-blinded parallel study, adult patients scheduled for elective major upper abdominal surgery were assigned to either the TEA group with combined thoracic epidural anesthesia and general anesthesia (TEA-GA) (n = 30) or the control group with only general anesthesia (GA) (n = 30). Measurements The primary outcome was the minimum ΔP determined based on positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) after intubation. Secondary outcomes included the incidence of PPCs within seven days, the minimum ΔP at various time points, blood gas analysis, intensive care unit (ICU) admission rates, length of hospital stay, and 30-day mortality rate. Results The TEA group had a significantly lower minimum ΔP titrated based on PEEP compared to the control group (11.23 ± 2.19 cmH2O vs. 12.67 ± 2.70 cmH2O; P = 0.028). Multivariate linear regression analysis showed that intraoperative TEA application (compared with its absence; unstandardized beta coefficient (B) = -1.289; P = 0.008) significantly correlated with ΔP. The incidence of PPCs did not differ significantly between the two groups (8 of 30 [26.7%] vs. 12 of 30 [40%]; P = 0.273), but the incidence of atelectasis in the TEA group was significantly lower than in the control group (5 of 30 [16.7%] vs. 12 of 30 [40.7%]; P = 0.012). Multivariate logistic regression analysis indicated that ΔP was the only variable significantly associated with PPCs (Adjusted Odds Ratio [OR] = 2.190; 95% Confidence Interval [CI]: 1.300 to 3.689; P = 0.003). Conclusion Compared to GA, TEA-GA can reduce intraoperative ΔP in patients undergoing major upper abdominal surgery, especially those undergoing laparoscopic surgery. However, compared to GA combined with ΔP-guided ventilation, TEA-GA combined with ΔP-guided ventilation does not reduce the risk of PPCs. There was no significant difference in the total use of various vasoactive drugs between the two groups. Trial registration This study was registered in the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (registration number ChiCTR2300068778 date of registration February 28, 2023).

[Introduction] Under the "dual carbon" goal, energy storage has become an important participant in regulating the electricity market and a key link in building a new type of power system. Under the current energy storage market conditions in China, analyzing the application scenarios, business models, and economic benefits of energy storage is conductive to provide a fundamental basis for the future large-scale development and commercial operation of new energy storage. [Method] The paper studied the application scenarios of energy storage on the power generation side, grid side, and user side, analyzed the economic benefits and income sources of various types including power generation side, independent shared energy storage, etc., summarized the problems in the initial development of energy storage, and proposed relevant suggestions. [Result] Currently, the cost per kilowatt-hour for novel electrochemical energy storage in China is relatively high, leading to low overall economic benefits. Investment entities find it difficult to achieve profitability, and there are limited business models available. [Conclusion] In the future, China should establish diverse revenue sources for new energy storage, support various market entities in investing in, constructing, and operating shared energy storage facilities, and innovate market profit models for the development of new energy storage.

Abstract The modulation of the electrostatic potential barrier at grain boundaries determines the performance of many ceramic-based electronics such as varistors. However, conventional protocols relying on complex doping and annealing processes inevitably increase the inhomogeneity of microstructure, which may jeopardize the performance stability and mechanical reliability in service. Instead of doping, herein we demonstrate an effective strategy to modulate the potential barrier in ZnO-based low-voltage varistors by exploiting internal stress-induced piezoelectric polarization. The local residual stress as large as ~1 GPa can be created in the ZnO matrix by incorporating ultra-stiff nanodiamond particles using a cold sintering process. As a result, the composite with only 2 wt% of nanodiamond exhibits a prominent nonlinear current-voltage response at a low switch voltage of 15.7 V/mm, which is ascribed to the depressed barrier height induced by the distinct effects of positively and negatively charged polarization on grain boundaries. More strikingly, the large internal stress can significantly enhance the strength of the composite by more than 230% compared with the monolith, owing to the highly strengthened grain boundaries and crack-tip bridging from prestressed nanodiamonds. These findings add internal stress as a new dimension to design mechanically robust ceramic electronics with high performance.

In order to realize the effective prevention and control of coal dust, the magnetic-electric coupling spray dust reduction technology is proposed. First, by measuring the surface tension and contact angle of magnetized water under different magnetization intensities and magnetization times, its wetting and atomization properties are analyzed. Secondly, the magnetized water was magnetized with optimal parameters to increase the applied electric field to explore the effects of electrode voltage, electrode ring parameters, and electrode spacing on the charging characteristics and atomization performance of magneto-electrically coupled water. Then, the dust reduction effects of ordinary water, magnetized water and magneto-electrically coupled water were compared by the self-built dust removal experimental platform. Finally, COMSOL software is used to simulate the changes of collision patterns between the above three liquids and coal dust particles. The experimental results show that: the best dust reduction parameters of magnetized water solution are magnetization intensity of 350 mT and magnetization time of 30 min; the best parameters of magneto-electrically coupled water are electrode voltage of 9 kV, electrode ring parameter of 8 cm and electrode spacing of 3.5 cm; the dust reduction efficiency of magneto-electrically coupled solution is higher than that of other two kinds of liquids, and the dust capturing efficiency of magneto-electrically coupled spray is increased by 38.84% compared with that of ordinary water at the time of total dust, and the dust reduction efficiency reaches 91.2%; the dust capture efficiency of the magneto-electrically coupled spray is 38.59% higher than that of ordinary water in respirable dust, and the dust reduction efficiency reaches 82.3%. The droplets are more easily adhered to the surface of coal dust particles under the three working conditions of ordinary water, magnetized water and magneto-electrically coupled solution.

Abstract Multiferroic materials have been intensively pursued to achieve the mutual control of electric and magnetic properties. The breakthrough progress in 2D magnets and ferroelectrics encourages the exploration of low-dimensional multiferroics, which holds the promise of understanding inscrutable magnetoelectric coupling and inventing advanced spintronic devices. However, confirming ferroelectricity with optical techniques is challenging in 2D materials, particularly in conjunction with antiferromagnetic orders in single- and few-layer multiferroics. Here, we report the discovery of 2D vdW multiferroic with out-of-plane ferroelectric polarization in trilayer NiI2 device, as revealed by scanning reflective magnetic circular dichroism microscopy and ferroelectric hysteresis loops. The evolution between ferroelectric and antiferroelectric phases has been unambiguously observed. Moreover, the magnetoelectric interaction is directly probed by magnetic control of the multiferroic domain switching. This work opens up opportunities for exploring multiferroic orders and multiferroic physics at the limit of single or few atomic layers, and for creating advanced magnetoelectronic devices.

Abstract Background Prompt identification of fracture healing is crucial for medical decision-making and clinical research. This study aims to assess the effectiveness of the Radiographic Union Score for Hip (RUSH) in subtrochanteric fractures and determine the optimal scoring threshold for fracture healing. Methods We obtained 94 sets of X-ray films from the postoperative follow-up of 35 patients who underwent intramedullary nail fixation for subtrochanteric fractures. Six orthopedic trauma surgeons evaluated the imaging data and determined fracture healing based on subjective judgment. They then scored the X-ray images using the RUSH form. After four weeks, the same observers re-evaluated 47 randomly selected sets of radiographs. Subsequently, the observers and study designer conducted a consensus meeting where they agreed on whether the fractures had healed. We used Fleiss kappa to evaluate agreement among observers based on subjective impressions, and the intraclass correlation coefficient assessed RUSH score consistency. Regression analysis examined the relationship between scores and fracture healing consensus using a receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curve. Results Based on overall impressions, the agreement level among orthopedic trauma surgeons for determining the healing status of subtrochanteric fractures was moderate (Kappa = 0.564, 95% CI: 0.511–0.616). However, utilizing the RUSH scoring system can improve the consistency to a substantial level of agreement (ICC = 0.748, 95% CI: 0.663–0.817). Regarding intraobserver reliability, there were significant differences among orthopedic trauma surgeons in judging fracture healing based on overall impressions. However, using the RUSH scoring form, the attending group achieved better intraobserver consistency than the resident group. Regression analysis and ROC curve analysis revealed a strong correlation between the RUSH total score, cortical bone score, cancellous bone score, and consensus on fracture healing. The AUC values are 0.769 (95% CI: 0.670–0.868), 0.779 (95% CI: 0.681–0.876), and 0.771 (95% CI: 0.674–0.867), respectively. Conclusions Our study highlights the effectiveness of the RUSH scoring system in enhancing interobserver agreement and intraobserver consistency when evaluating subtrochanteric fracture healing in orthopedic trauma surgeons. We propose setting 21 points as the threshold for the simplified RUSH scoring system to determine fracture healing. This system includes only eight items related to cortical bone, with a total score of 24 points.

Water mist charging and solution active treatment, as two kinds of efficient dust removal methods, showed good dust removal effect when they used independently. In order to explore the settling effect of the combined use of the two on fine dust, sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) surfactant was used to prepare the active solution, and copper burr ring electrode was used for corona charging. Under the background of micron droplet field charging, the charging effect of micron active droplet and its wettability to anthracite were investigated. The results show that the active solution is more sensitive to electric field than pure water. Water mist charging and solution activity treatment showed synergistic effects on enhancing droplet fragmentation, reducing droplet size and enhancing solution wettability. Compared with ordinary water mist, micron-charged active water mist has higher capture efficiency for anthracite dust, and sedimentation efficiency for total dust and respirable dust is up to 91.77% and 90.45%.

Abstract The expression and biological function of junctional adhesion molecule-like protein (JAML) in colorectal cancer (CRC) remain unclear. Paraffin tissue samples from 50 cases of CRC were collected to determine the expression of JAML. JAML was overexpressed or knock-down in CRC cells to evaluated the proliferation, migration and invasion in vitro and in vivo. Western-blot and others were applied to explore the mechanisms. The study showed that JAML was highly expressed within cancer tissues in 50% (25/50) of patients with CRC, and was correlated with higher TNM stage (p

Abstract Recent advancements in deep learning have significantly improved performance in the multi‐view stereo (MVS) domain, yet achieving a balance between reconstruction efficiency and quality remains challenging for learning‐based MVS methods. To address this, we introduce MFE‐MVSNet, designed for more effective and precise depth estimation. Our model incorporates a pyramid feature extraction network, featuring efficient multi‐scale attention and multi‐scale feature enhancement modules. These components capture pixel‐level pairwise relationships and semantic features with long‐range contextual information, enhancing feature representation. Additionally, we propose a lightweight 3D UNet regularization network based on depthwise separable convolutions to reduce computational costs. This network employs bi‐directional skip connections, establishing a fluid relationship between encoders and decoders and enabling cyclic reuse of building blocks without adding learnable parameters. By integrating these methods, MFE‐MVSNet effectively balances reconstruction quality and efficiency. Extensive qualitative and quantitative experiments on the DTU dataset validate our model's competitiveness, demonstrating approximately 33% and 12% relative improvements in overall score compared to MVSNet and CasMVSNet, respectively. Compared to other MVS networks, our approach more effectively balances reconstruction quality with efficiency.

Introduction: Anecdotal reports and limited reports suggest a possible link between activities involving rapid acceleration and retinal detachment. We present two novel such cases and review existing literature to investigate the plausibility of this association and delineate in what populations such an association may be more likely. Case Presentation: We report 2 cases of retinal detachment following roller coaster riding. The first, a 24-year-old woman with a family history of retinal detachment, presented with floaters after consecutive rides and was found to have an inferior temporal macula-sparing retinal detachment with associated retinal breaks. The second case, a 25-year-old female with a history of high myopia, presented with visual field defect and was found to have a macula-on retinal detachment with an accompanying tear at the edge of an area of lattice degeneration. Both were successfully treated with pneumatic retinopexy followed by laser retinopexy. Conclusion: Rapid acceleration/deceleration forces, such as those experienced on roller coasters, could potentially lead to retinal detachment. Structural predisposition is likely necessary for acceleration/deceleration injury to lead to retinal detachment, with all known cases having risk factors, including high myopia and positive family history. These same forces in eyes without structural predisposition have resulted in hemorrhage, but not detachment.

IntroductionArthrinium phaeospermum can cause large areas wilted and death of Bambusa pervariabilis × Dendrocalamopsis grandis, resulting in serious ecological and economic losses. Previous studies found that the appressorium of A. phaeospermum must form to invade the host cells and cause disease. A short-chain dehydrogenase/reductase gene has been shown to maintain the osmotic pressure of the appressorium by synthesizing fungal melanin to penetrate the plant epidermis and cause disease. The SDR gene family of A. phaeospermum was found to be highly expressed during the penetration in the transcriptome sequencing results. Still, the relationship with melanin biosynthesis of A. phaeospermum is not clear.MethodsWe aimed to predict the biological function of the SDR gene family in A. phaeospermum, identify key ApSDR genes with pathogenic roles, and explore the pathogenic mechanism. We have characterized the SDR family of A. pheospermum bioinformatically. Candidate ApSDRs screened by transcriptome sequencing were compared by qPCR experiments to obtain key ApSDRs that may play an important role in infestation and adversity resistance. Knockout mutants, the co-knockout mutant, and backfill mutants of key ApSDRs were obtained for phenotypic and stress conditions analysis. We explored and validated the pathogenic mechanisms through cellulose membrane penetration experiments and analysis of melanin-related gene synthesis levels.Results and discussion180 ApSDRs were identified bioinformatically. After screening six candidate ApSDRs with noticeably elevated expression using transcriptome sequencing, qPCR experiments revealed that ApSDR53C2 and ApSDR548U2 had the highest expression. The results of phenotypic and stress conditions analysis indicate that ApSDRs are critical for the growth, development, stress response, and fungicide resistance of A. phaeospermum. The pathogenicity analysis revealed that ApSDR53C2 and ApSDR548U2 play important roles in virulence, with ApSDR53C2 having a stronger effect. A comparison of melanin synthesis levels between wild-type and ΔApSDR53C2 strains showed that ApSDR53C2 positively regulates melanin biosynthesis to promote penetration. The findings demonstrate that ApSDRs are essential for A. phaeospermum to withstand stress and facilitate melanin biosynthesis, which in turn contributes to its virulence.

Abstract The remarkable properties of 2D nanomaterials are well known. However, their high interfacial adhesion energy often leads to restacking issues, limiting their potential in various applications. A strategic synthetic approach is presented to overcome this challenge. Specifically, the study first demonstrates the use of layered aluminosilicate as a sacrificial 2D template to allow the growth of highly ordered meso‐holey polymeric layers, which can be subsequently exfoliated upon the removal of aluminosilicate and thermally converted to perpendicularly open meso‐holey carbon (POMC). On the other hand, perpendicularly blocked meso‐holey carbon (PBMC) is obtained with non‐sacrificial 2D template of graphene oxide. When both POMC and PBMC are evaluated by operando hydrodynamic electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and transmission line model analysis for electrochemical reduction of oxygen, POMC achieves a remarkable improvement of charge transfer and mass transfer by up to 4.1 and 7.9 times, respectively, as compared to PBMC. This study therefore highlights the importance of perpendicularly open 2D nanoarchitectures in circumventing the restacking effect, offering valuable insights for leveraging 2D nanomaterials with open meso‐holes in various applications.

BackgroundKnee osteoarthritis (KOA) is a prevalent condition causing significant pain and functional impairment. Acupuncture has shown promise as an adjunctive therapy, but conventional manual selection of acupoints lacks standardization. The Acugraph system provides a computerized method for identifying acupoints, potentially enhancing treatment precision.ObjectiveThis study aims to compare the effects of computerized Acugraph-guided acupuncture versus manually selected acupuncture as adjuncts to physiotherapy in managing KOA.MethodsA randomized, double-blind controlled trial will be conducted with 50 participants diagnosed with mild to moderate KOA. Participants will be randomly assigned to one of two groups: Group 1 Comp-AcuPhysio (n = 25), receiving Acugraph-guided acupuncture with physiotherapy, or Group 2 Man-AcuPhysio (n = 25), receiving manually selected acupuncture with physiotherapy. Both groups will undergo 12 weekly treatment sessions, each lasting 60 minutes. Outcome measures, including the Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score, active knee flexion range, Timed Up and Go test, Visual Analog Scale for pain, Short Form-36 health survey, and Personal Integrated Energetics score, will be assessed at baseline and immediately post-intervention. An intention-to-treat analysis will be applied. Changes from baseline to 12 weeks will be analyzed using repeated measures analysis of variance for both within-group and between-group comparisons.ResultsThis study will provide a definitive assessment of the effectiveness of computerized Acugraph-guided acupuncture compared to manually selected acupuncture as supplementary treatments alongside KOA physiotherapeutic rehabilitation.ConclusionThis trial will offer insights into how incorporating technology-driven approaches, such as Acugraph, with physiotherapy can enhance the customization and effectiveness of KOA management, leading to improved clinical outcomes. These results could advocate for the integration of technological tools in acupuncture to boost treatment precision and efficacy for KOA.Trial registrationAustralian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (ACTRN12624000646549p).

BackgroundMinimal change disease (MCD) is a podocytopathy more commonly seen in children, but it also accounts for 10%–25% of adult nephrotic syndrome. High-dose oral glucocorticoids were recommended for initial treatment of MCD. However, long-term use of systemic corticosteroids is associated with significant adverse events, such as steroid-induced diabetes and infections. The aim of this study was to investigate the clinical efficacy and safety of half-dose glucocorticoids combined with rituximab (RTX) for the initial treatment of MCD.MethodsWe recruited 74 patients with MCD confirmed by renal biopsy. Twenty patients were treated with RTX alone with 1000 mg at d1 and d15, 28 patients received half-dose prednisolone (0.5 mg/kg) per day combined with RTX with 1000 mg at d1, and 26 patients received high-dose prednisolone (1 mg/kg) per day. Treatment responses, including complete remission (CR) and partial remission (PR), and outcome adverse events such as steroid-induced diabetes and infections were compared among the three groups after 12 months of follow-up.ResultsAt the 12-month follow-up, the CR rates were 50%, 96.4%, and 96.2% for the RTX group, half-dose prednisolone combined with RTX group, and high-dose prednisolone group, respectively. There was no statistical difference between the half-dose prednisolone combined with RTX group and high-dose prednisolone group on CR and PR and kidney function (P > 0.05). Compared with the high-dose prednisolone group, the half-dose prednisolone combined with RTX group had a reduced incidence of adverse events of steroid diabetes (P = 0.041), especially in patients older than 55 years of age.ConclusionThe efficiency of half-dose prednisolone combined with RTX is not inferior to the recommended treatment regimen, and this regimen can effectively reduce the incidence of steroid-induced diabetes in patients with MCD. Moreover, we recommend a half-dose prednisolone combined with RTX treatment for elderly patients with MCD.

ABSTRACT Alcohol intake causes many diseases including neuropsychiatric symptoms, nutritional deficiency, progressive pancreatitis, liver cirrhosis, and ischemic heart disease. The gut microbiota changes significantly after alcohol exposure. Alcohol consumption tends to increase in underage and young people, but the feature of the gut microbiota in puberty remains largely unexplored. In this study, we conducted alcohol-exposed pubertal and adult mice model to investigate the intestinal damage and gut microbiota change. Interestingly, the responses of pubertal mice and adult mice after alcohol exposure were different. We found that alcohol dehydrogenase decreased and aldehyde dehydrogenase increased in the liver of pubertal mice, thus reducing the accumulation of toxic acetaldehyde. Furthermore, alcohol exposure caused less intestinal injury in pubertal mice. Through the analysis of metagenome assembly genome, we obtained many unrecognized bacterial genomes. Limosillactobacillus reuteri (cluster_56) and Lactobacillus intestinalis (cluster_57) were assembled from the samples of pubertal mice, which were involved in the production of indole acetic acid and the transformation of bile acids in response to alcohol exposure. This study provided a new insight to investigate the gut microbiota change and explained the difference of the gut microbiota after alcohol exposure between pubertal mice and adult mice.IMPORTANCEThis study elucidates the significant impact of alcohol exposure on the gut microbiota and metabolic pathways in mice, highlighting the differential responses between adolescent and adult stages. Alcohol exposure was found to damage the intestinal barrier, alter the microbial composition by decreasing beneficial bacteria like Lactobacillus, and increase harmful bacteria such as Alistipes. The study also discovered unique microbial changes and resilience in pubertal mice. Species-level metagenomic analysis revealed specific microbial taxa and metabolic functions affected by alcohol. Metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs) found many species that could not be annotated by conventional methods including many members of Lachnospiraceae, greatly expanding our understanding of the gut microbiota composition. These findings underscore the need for further research on alcohol’s effects on various organs and the implications of microbial metabolites on disease progression.

Abstract Inflammation is highlighted as an initial factor that helps orchestrate liver reconstitution. However, the precise mechanisms controlling inflammation during liver reconstitution have not been fully elucidated. In this study, a clear immune response is demonstrated during hepatic reconstitution. Inhibition of the hepatic inflammatory response retards liver regeneration. During this process, Ccl2 is primarily produced by type 1 innate lymphoid cells (ILC1s), and ILC1‐derived Ccl2 recruits peripheral ILC1s and regulatory T cells (Tregs) to the liver. Deletion of Ccl2 or Tregs exacerbates hepatic injury and inflammatory cytokine release, accelerating liver proliferation and regeneration. The adoption of Tregs and IL‐10 injection reversed these effects on hepatocyte regenerative proliferation. Additionally, Treg‐derived IL‐10 can directly induce macrophage polarization from M1 to M2, which alleviated macrophage‐secreted IL‐6 and TNF‐α and balanced the intrahepatic inflammatory milieu during liver reconstitution. This study reveals the capacity of Tregs to modulate the intrahepatic inflammatory milieu and liver reconstitution through IL‐10‐mediated macrophage polarization, providing a potential opportunity to improve hepatic inflammation and maintain homeostasis.

Sulfate attack precipitates instability and degradation within calcium silicate (aluminate) hydrate (C-(A)-S-H) gel, the primary binding phase in cementitious materials. This degradation intricately correlates with the clinker phase composition, particularly the ratios of tricalcium silicate (C3S) and tricalcium aluminate (C3A). In this study, C3S and C3A were synthesized through solid-state sintering to create C3S-C3A pastes. The research aimed to examine the impact of varying C3A substitution levels and Na2SO4 exposure durations on the microstructure and performance of these composite pastes. The findings reveal that C3A markedly accelerates both the early hydration kinetics and the overall hydration degree of C3S within the C3S-C3A system, with this effect becoming more pronounced with increasing C3A content. Furthermore, the inclusion of C3A elevates the Al[4]/Si ratio, mean chain length (MCL), and Ca/Si of the C-S-H gel. This leads to an increase in the overall porosity of the composite matrix while simultaneously diminishing its chloride-binding capacity. Exposure to Na2SO4 disrupts the incorporation of Al3+, released during C3A hydration, into the bridging sites of the C-S-H structure, causing a decrease in the Al[4]/Si of the C-(A)-S-H gel. The leached aluminum subsequently reacts with SO42- to form ettringite and other deleterious compounds. Additionally, Na2SO4 exposure induces a significant reduction in the Ca/Si within the composite pastes, with the magnitude of decalcification inversely proportional to the initial Ca/Si—implying that higher C3A content exacerbates the decalcification process. During the process of sulfate attack, the formation of gypsum and AFt complicates the pore structure of the matrix, providing more adsorption sites for the binding of Cl-.

Strength and electrical conductivity (EC) are key properties for heat-resistant Al-Zr-based alloy wires used as overhead transmission lines. Developing high-strength conductors with EC over 61.0% IACS has been a long-standing issue for heat-resistant Al conductive wires. In this work, a new design idea involving the coupling design of deformation and ageing was innovatively proposed to produce ultra-heat-resistant Al-0.2Zr-0.06Sc wires. The desired combination of high strength (195 ± 2 MPa) and good EC (61.2% IACS) was successfully achieved without annealing treatment. The strength residual rate of cold-drawn Al-0.2Zr-0.06Sc wire is as high as 94.0% after heat exposure of 280°C/1 h.

Abstract Background and purpose The association of water loading with several infections remains unclear. Observational studies are hard to investigate definitively due to potential confounders. In this study, we employed Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis to assess the association between genetically predicted whole body water mass (BWM) and several infections. Methods BWM levels were predicted among 331,315 Europeans in UK Biobank using 418 SNPs associated with BWM. For outcomes, we used genome-wide association data from the UK Biobank and FinnGen consortium, including sepsis, pneumonia, intestinal infections, urinary tract infections (UTIs) and skin and soft tissue infections (SSTIs). Inverse-variance weighted MR analyses as well as a series of sensitivity analyses were conducted. Results Genetic prediction of BWM is associated with an increased risk of sepsis (OR 1.34; 95% CI 1.19 to 1.51; P = 1.57 × 10− 6), pneumonia (OR: 1.17; 95% CI 1.08 to 1.29; P = 3.53 × 10− 4), UTIs (OR: 1.26; 95% CI 1.16 to 1.37; P = 6.29 × 10− 8), and SSTIs (OR: 1.57; 95% CI 1.25 to 1.96; P = 7.35 × 10− 5). In the sepsis and pneumonia subgroup analyses, the relationship between BWM and infection was observed in bacterial but not in viral infections. Suggestive evidence suggests that BWM has an effect on viral intestinal infections (OR: 0.86; 95% CI 0.75 to 0.99; P = 0.03). There is limited evidence of an association between BWM levels and bacteria intestinal infections, and genitourinary tract infection (GUI) in pregnancy. In addition, MR analyses supported the risk of BWM for several edematous diseases. However, multivariable MR analysis shows that the associations of BWM with sepsis, pneumonia, UTIs and SSTIs remains unaffected when accounting for these traits. Conclusions In this study, the causal relationship between BWM and infectious diseases was systematically investigated. Further prospective studies are necessary to validate these findings.

Abstract Background Patients with severe infection often require careful fluid management. Intravenous linezolid can increase the fluid volume, whereas oral linezolid can effectively limit the fluid volume. However, the differences in the treatment effect and incidence of thrombocytopenia between oral and intravenous linezolid in patients with severe infection remain unclear. Methods Patients who received linezolid in the intensive care unit of PLA General Hospital from December 2010 to December 2020 were divided into an oral group and intravenous group according to the route of administration, and we further established the PO group and PO-match group by propensity score matching. The anti-infection effect of linezolid and incidence of thrombocytopenia were compared between the two groups. Results In total, 177 patients were enrolled in the study (59 in PO group and 118 in PO-match group). The microbial clearance rate and clinical cure rate were similar between the two groups (70.0% vs. 79.3%, P = 0.293; 72.9% vs. 83.9%, P = 0.213). The 30-day mortality rate was slightly higher in the PO group than in the PO-match group, but the difference was not statistically significant (13.6% vs. 6.8%, P = 0.138). There was no difference in the incidence of thrombocytopenia between the two groups (62.7% vs. 65.3%, P = 0.739). Conclusions There were no significant differences in the treatment effect or incidence of thrombocytopenia between oral and intravenous administration of linezolid in patients with severe infection.

Abstract Purpose Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs)-associated myocarditis was a rare yet severe complication observed in individuals undergoing immunotherapy. This study investigated the immune status and characteristics of patients diagnosed with ICIs- associated myocarditis. Methods A total of seven patients diagnosed with ICIs-associated myocarditis were included in the study, while five tumor patients without myocarditis were recruited as reference controls. Additionally, 30 healthy individuals were recruited as blank controls. Biochemical indices, electrocardiogram, and echocardiography measurements were obtained both prior to and following the occurrence of myocarditis. High-throughput sequencing of T cell receptor (TCR) was employed to assess the diversity and distribution characteristics of TCR CDR3 length, as well as the diversity of variable (V) and joining (J) genes of T lymphocytes in peripheral blood. Results In the seven patients with ICIs-associated myocarditis, Troponin T (TNT) levels exhibited a significant increase following myocarditis, while other parameters such as brain natriuretic peptide (BNP), QTc interval, and left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) did not show any significant differences. Through sequencing, it was observed that the diversity and uniformity of CDR3 in the ICIs-associated myocarditis patients were significantly diminished. Additionally, the distribution of CDR3 nucleotides deviated from normality, and variations in the utilization of V and J gene segments. Conclusion The reconstitution of the TCR immune repertoire may play a pivotal role in the recognition of antigens in patients with ICIs-associated myocarditis.

Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench) is an important cereal crop in arid and semiarid regions. However, research on sorghum cultivation has lagged behind that of major field crops, and few information is available on the interaction of sorghum genotype, environment, and nitrogen fertilization on sorghum yield. Hence, a two-year field experiment included six varieties, and four nitrogen treatments were conducted at six sites in the spring-sown and early maturing regions of China. The results showed that yield variations between years and among sites, varieties, and fertilization were highly significant (P

LiNixMnyCozO2 cathode materials combined with Si‐based anode materials are current state‐of‐the‐art high energy density chemistries for lithium ion batteries. Increasing the upper cut‐off voltage is an intriguing approach to achieve even higher energy density in lithium ion batteries. However, poor oxidation stability of the state‐of‐the‐art electrolytes leads to transition metal dissolution (TMD), migration, and deposition (TMDMD) on the negative electrode, followed by sudden and rapid capacity fade. Furthermore, the chemical instability of the lithium hexafluorophosphate causes hydro‐fluoric acid to develop, which targets the native SiOx layers on silicon anodes and breaks the chemical bond to the carboxymethylcellulose sodium salt binder. Herein, a fluorine‐rich electrolyte formulation consisting of lithium‐bis(fluorsulfonyl)imide with fluoroethylene carbonate (FEC): bis(2,2,2,) trifluoroethyl carbonate (BFEC) was applied in NMC811||10%SiOx‐90%graphite cells to achieve high oxidation stability and prevent TMD and deposition. Up‐to‐date, this is the premier electrochemical performance reported in literature with a capacity retention of 94.5% and 92.2% with 0.5 °C and 4.5 V upper cut‐off voltage cycling at 20 and 40 °C after 100 cycles, respectively. The post mortem analysis showed that stabilization is achieved by forming inorganic‐ and salt‐rich interphases that protect the electrolyte versus decomposition at the electrode.

Abstract Ultrastrong and deep-strong coupling are two coupling regimes rich in intriguing physical phenomena. Recently, hybrid magnonic systems have emerged as promising candidates for exploring these regimes, owing to their unique advantages in quantum engineering. However, because of the relatively weak coupling between magnons and other quasiparticles, ultrastrong coupling is predominantly realized at cryogenic temperatures, while deep-strong coupling remains to be explored. In our work, we achieve both theoretical and experimental realization of room-temperature ultrastrong magnon-magnon coupling in synthetic antiferromagnets with intrinsic asymmetry of magnetic anisotropy. Unlike most ultrastrong coupling systems, where the counter-rotating coupling strength g 2 is strictly equal to the co-rotating coupling strength g 1, our systems allow for highly tunable g 1 and g 2. This high degree of freedom also enables the realization of normalized g 1 or g 2 larger than 0.5. Particularly, our experimental findings reveal that the maximum observed g 1 is nearly identical to the bare frequency, with g 1/ω 0 = 0.963, indicating a close realization of deep-strong coupling within our hybrid magnonic systems. Our results highlight synthetic antiferromagnets as platforms for exploring unconventional ultrastrong and even deep-strong coupling regimes, facilitating the further exploration of quantum phenomena.

Abstract Scedosporium apiospermum species complex are widely distributed fungi that can be found in a variety of polluted environments, including soil, sewage, and decaying vegetation. Those opportunistic pathogens with strong potential of invasion commonly affect immunosuppressed populations However, few cases of scedosporiosis are reported in immunocompetent individuals, who might be misdiagnosed, leading to a high mortality rate. Here, we reported an immunocompetent case of systemtic infection involved in lung, brain and spine, caused by S. apiospermum species complex (S. apiospermum and S. boydii). The patient was an elderly male with persistent fever and systemtic infection after near-drowning. In the two tertiary hospitals he visited, definite diagnosis was extremely difficult. After being admitted to our hospital, he was misdiagnosed as tuberculosis infection, before diagnosis of S. apiospermum species complex infection by the metagenomic next-generation sequencing. His symptoms were alleviated after voriconazole treatment. In the present case, the details associated with its course were reported and published studies on Scedosporium spp. infection were also reviewed, for a better understanding of this disease and reducing the misdiagnosis rate.

To mitigate the impact of oscillations on new energy power systems， it is crucial to assess the system stability state online and identify weak points susceptible to oscillations for proactive measures. To achieve this， two methods for locating weak points in new energy power systems are proposed， each from the perspectives of frequency domain characteristics and time-domain responses of the ports. The frequency domain method involves evaluating the system’s stability state based on the impedance characteristics of the ports at new energy substations， pinpointing weak substations according to the magnitude of the real part of the impedance at each substation. The time-domain method involves actively injecting a wideband small disturbance signal and utilizing the HHT （Hilbert-Huang transform） to analyze the current response at each port of new energy substations. Damping ratios of weak modes are extracted， and weak substations are located based on their magnitudes. The effectiveness of these location methods is validated using a small-scale new energy system composed of three wind farms. The results indicate that both methods accurately identify weak points in the system oscillations.

Intervertebral disc degeneration (IDD) is the cause of low back pain (LBP), and recent research has suggested that inflammatory cytokines play a significant role in this process. Maslinic acid (MA), a natural compound found in olive plants (Olea europaea), has anti-inflammatory properties, but its potential for treating IDD is unclear. The current study aims to investigate the effects of MA on TNFα-induced IDD in vitro and in other in vivo models. Our findings suggest that MA ameliorates the imbalance of the extracellular matrix (ECM) and mitigates senescence by upregulating aggrecan and collagen II levels as well as downregulating MMP and ADAMTS levels in nucleus pulposus cells (NPCs). It can also impede the progression of IDD in rats. We further find that MA significantly affects the PI3K/AKT and NF-κB pathways in TNFα-induced NPCs determined by RNA-seq and experimental verification, while the AKT agonist Sc-79 eliminates these signaling cascades. Furthermore, molecular docking simulation shows that MA directly binds to PI3K. Dysfunction of the PI3K/AKT pathway and ECM metabolism has also been confirmed in clinical specimens of degenerated nucleus pulposus. This study demonstrates that MA may hold promise as a therapeutic agent for alleviating ECM metabolism disorders and senescence to treat IDD.

The development of electric vehicles (EVs) is one of the essential ways to reduce environmental pollution. With the rapid growth in EVs, an orderly charging strategy based on multi-level adjustable charging power is proposed to address the problem of increasing peak-to-valley difference due to disorderly charging in different scenarios. Based on the information of multi-level adjustable charging power, information about staying in the residential area, and charging demands of EVs, this research designs a centralized charging mode with complete information under the centralized scenario and a decentralized charging mode with incomplete information under the decentralized scenario. This research takes the minimization of peak-to-valley difference in the residential area as the objective function and considers that the charging pile can have the function of multi-level adjustable charging power to support these two scenarios. Two charging modes of the charging pile are designed, and orderly charging model of EVs in the residential area is constructed. EVs can select charging time and charging power by using Bluetooth or code scanning in the charging pile. This research aims to design two orderly charging modes to effectively implement peak shaving and valley filling while ensuring the charging demand of EVs. This research uses the CPLEX solver in MATLAB to solve the objective. The simulation results show that EVs can reasonably select the multi-level adjustable charging power under different scenarios and provide a reference for engineering related to orderly charging. Strategy 4, proposed in this research, has the lowest peak-to-valley difference of the four strategies. The peak-to-valley difference is only 87 kW under the centralized scenario, and the peak-to-valley difference is 282 kW under the decentralized scenario.

Abstract Background This study aimed to investigate the value of nonenhanced computed tomography (CT)‐based radiomics in determining disease progression in breast cancer patients with bone marrow metastases and to develop a model for assessing treatment efficacy. Methods A total of 134 breast cancer patients with bone metastases were enrolled from three hospitals. Nonenhanced CT was performed after two cycles of drug treatment. The images were categorized into an invalid and a valid group according to disease progression status. The largest osteolytic lesions' maximum cross‐sections in the CT images were selected as regions of interest (ROIs) for feature extraction. Variance threshold, SelectKBest, and least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) were used to reduce feature dimensionality. K‐nearest neighbor algorithm (KNN), support vector machine (SVM), extreme gradient boosting (XGBoost), random forest (RF), logistic regression (LR), and decision tree (DT) algorithms were trained to establish radiomics models. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were generated to evaluate the diagnostic performance of the models. Results The KNN classifier demonstrated the best performance compared to the random grouping method. In the validation group, the area under the ROC curve (AUC) was 0.810. In the cross‐validation method, the RF classifier showed the best performance with an AUC of 0.84. Conclusion Nonenhanced CT‐based radiomics provides a promising method for evaluating the efficacy of systemic drug therapy in breast cancer patients with osteolytic bone metastases.

Integration of new energy sources will continuously encroach upon the startup capacity of conventional units， reducing system’s rotational inertia and frequency regulation capabilities. This leads to accelerated frequency changes and increased fluctuation amplitudes. Therefore， it is imperative for new energy units to provide active inertia support. However， the dynamic characteristics of new energy units differ significantly from synchronous generators， making traditional swing equations inadequate to fully reflect the dynamic process of frequency response in new-type power systems after disturbances. Therefore， an inertia model for new-type power systems is established to accurately characterize the inertia response process of synchronous generators， grid-following inverters， and grid-forming inverters. A real-time inertia measurement method is proposed， which employs an improved polynomial curve fitting method （PCFM） and system identification method to accurately identify the system’s rotational inertia and regional inertia. Finally， through simulation， a quantitative assessment of the equivalent inertia of new-type power systems is conducted， and the effectiveness of the proposed measurement method and mathematical model is validated.

Background Lifestyle is an important modifiable risk factor for dementia. Knowledge and beliefs are important factors affecting lifestyle. However, there is a lack of research on the types of knowledge, beliefs, behaviors of reducing dementia risk, and it remains unclear whether there are differences in dementia risk and cognitive function among residents with different types of knowledge, belief, and behavior. Objective To understand the current situation of knowledge, beliefs, behaviors of reducing dementia risk in the middle-aged and elderly adults in the community, explore and analyze the types of knowledge, beliefs and behaviors and the differences of cognitive function, and provide a basis for the development of targeted dementia prevention measures in the community. Methods From March 2021 to February 2022, middle-aged and elderly adults who participated in free health checkups at community health centers and established health management files in five communities in Shapingba District of Chongqing were selected as the survey objects by convenience sampling method. The general information questionnaire, Dementia Knowledge Assessment Scale (DKAS), Motivation to Change Lifestyle and Health Behaviors for Dementia Risk Reduction (MCLHB-DRR), Dementia Risk Reduction Lifestyle Scale (DRRLS), Beijing version of Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) and Cardiovascular Risk Factors, Aging and Dementia (CAIDE) scores were used for the investigation. K-means cluster analysis was used to classify the knowledge, beliefs, behaviors of reducing dementia risk of residents, and the differences in demographic characteristics, cognitive function and dementia risk among different types were compared and analyzed. Results A total of 232 questionnaires distributed and 211 valid questionnaires were recovered, with an effective recovery rate of 90.9%. The cluster analysis results showed that the knowledge, beliefs and behaviors of reducing dementia risk of the middle-aged and elderly adults in the community could be divided into three types of good knowledge, beliefs and behaviors type, low knowledge-poor behaviors type, low beliefs-poor behaviors type, which accounted for 39.8% (84/211), 37.4% (79/211), and 22.8% (48/211), respectively. The average years of education of middle-aged and elderly residents in good knowledge, beliefs and behaviors type were significantly higher than those in low knowledge-poor behaviors type (t=2.703, P

Automating the monitoring of industrial processes has the potential to enhance efficiency and optimize quality by promptly detecting abnormal events and thus facilitating timely interventions. Deep learning, with its capacity to discern non-trivial patterns within large datasets, plays a pivotal role in this process. Standard deep learning methods are suitable to solve a specific task given a specific type of data. During training, deep learning demands large volumes of labeled data. However, due to the dynamic nature of the industrial processes and environment, it is impractical to acquire large-scale labeled data for standard deep learning training for every slightly different case anew. Deep transfer learning offers a solution to this problem. By leveraging knowledge from related tasks and accounting for variations in data distributions, the transfer learning framework solves new tasks with little or even no additional labeled data. The approach bypasses the need to retrain a model from scratch for every new setup and dramatically reduces the labeled data requirement. This survey first provides an in-depth review of deep transfer learning, examining the problem settings of transfer learning and classifying the prevailing deep transfer learning methods. Moreover, we delve into applications of deep transfer learning in the context of a broad spectrum of time series anomaly detection tasks prevalent in primary industrial domains, e.g., manufacturing process monitoring, predictive maintenance, energy management, and infrastructure facility monitoring. We discuss the challenges and limitations of deep transfer learning in industrial contexts and conclude the survey with practical directions and actionable suggestions to address the need to leverage diverse time series data for anomaly detection in an increasingly dynamic production environment.

An advanced stability analysis of surrounding rock can assure safe construction in tunnels. However, in traditional analysis methods, geometric information on the rock mass discontinuities is obtained by a geological compass and treated as an infinitely expanded plane in a numerical simulation, which is inaccurate in both geometric and numerical models. To solve this problem, this paper studied a control network and an image stitch method to assess the accuracy of a geometric model and proposed a more accurate method to obtain the geometric information of rock mass discontinuities based on digital photogrammetry. Based on discrete fracture network and discrete element method (DFN-DEM), this paper treated the rock mass discontinuities obtained by digital photogrammetry as finite disk planes and simulated the excavation process of the Qianyu tunnel. According to the simulation results, this paper determined the specific location of the collapse disaster on the tunnel face, which is of great significance to tunnel support design. Comparing the deformation of the surrounding rock mass on the tunnel face in the simulation results with the actual situation, this paper verified the feasible accuracy of this method in analysing the stability of the surrounding rock mass on a tunnel face in advance.

Abstract Background Analyse and discuss the immediate stability of the cervical spine after anterior cervical discectomy and fusion using a door-shaped titanium plate and compare it with the traditional titanium plate, to provide biomechanical evidence for the rationality and effectiveness of the door-shaped titanium plate in clinical applications. Methods Ten adult goat C4/5 vertebral bodies were obtained, and models were prepared using denture base resin. Biomechanical experiments were performed on the specimens before internal fixation. MTS was used to conduct non-destructive biomechanical loading tests in six directions, including flexion, extension, left–right bending, and left–right torsion, recording the range of motion (ROM) and neutral zone (NZ) of each specimen. The specimens were then randomly divided into two groups: the study group was fixed with a door-shaped titanium plate, and the control group was fixed with a traditional titanium plate. ROM and NZ in each direction were measured again. After measurements, both groups were subjected to 0.5 Hz torsion loading with a torque of 2 N m for a total of 3000 cycles, followed by measuring ROM and NZ in six directions once more. Results Compared to before fixation, ROM and NZ in both groups significantly decreased in all six directions after fixation, with statistical significance (P 0.05); after 3000 torsional loads, both internal fixation groups showed increased ROM and NZ compared to after fixation but to a lower extent, and no screw or titanium plate loosening was observed. Compared to before fixation, the differences were still statistically significant (P 0.05). Conclusion The door-shaped titanium plate exhibits mechanical properties similar to the traditional titanium plate in all directions, and its smaller size and simpler surgical operation can be used for anterior cervical endoscopic surgery, reducing surgical trauma. It is clinically feasible and deserves further research and promotion.

Soil carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) are vital for enhancing tea production and ensuring the sustainability of tea plantation ecosystems. However, research on the dynamics of soil C and N pools and their associated microbial mechanisms in tea plantations with varying cultivation durations is scarce. We compared soil samples from a forest and two tea plantations—young established (YTP) and century-old (OTP)—to assess changes in soil C and N concentrations and the impact of fungal community structure on these elements. Soil organic carbon (SOC) and total nitrogen (TN) were markedly higher in OTP than in the YTP and forest (65.9% and 30.1%, respectively, relative to YTP). Eurotiomycetes in the YTP group accounted for a relatively higher proportion at 51.6%, surpassing its presence in both the forest (14.3%) and OTP (4.78%) groups and it can be the main microbial factor affecting the C cycle in tea plantation soils and facilitating SOC mineralization. Enhancing planting years or changing land use patterns improves fertilizer and biomass sedimentation and increases the relative abundance of Eurotiomycetes in the soil and the C sink potential of tea plantations. This study provides valuable insights into the role of soil C and N dynamics and fungal communities in tea plantation ecosystems, highlighting the importance of managing these factors for sustainable tea production.

Screening genotypes with optimal root traits presents a promising breeding strategy for enhancing adaptability to abiotic stresses and improving resource use efficiency. This study evaluated root traits of 100 winter wheat genotypes under four treatments: control (C), low phosphorus (LP), PEG-induced drought (D), and a combination of LP and drought (DLP), using a semi-hydroponic phenotyping platform. Significant variations in root traits were observed 65 days after transplanting, with over 80% of traits being significantly affected by drought, phosphorus, or their interactions. Biomass and phosphorus content decreased under LP and drought, while root length and diameter in deeper layers increased, especially under drought stress. Combined stress led to the most severe reductions in biomass, P-content, and leaf number. Phosphorus acquisition efficiency was positively correlated with root length but inversely related to stress tolerance. High heritability traits, such as root number, root length, maximum root depth, leaf number, and biomass, hold potential for breeding programs focused on environmental adaptation, resource efficiency, and yield improvement. The substantial genotypic variation in root morphology under stress conditions highlights the potential for breeding stress-resilient wheat genotypes. This finding lays a foundation for wheat-breeding initiatives aimed at developing genotypes better suited to prevailing environmental conditions.

With the development of Intelligent Machine as a Service (IMaaS), devices increasingly require personalization, intelligence, and service orientation, making resource modeling a key challenge. Knowledge graph (KG) technology, known for unifying heterogeneous data, has become an essential tool for modeling and analyzing manufacturing resources. On this basis, this study proposes a novel resource KG construction method for IMaaS. First, an E-R diagram is used to divide the constant and variable entities and set the constant attributes and the constant relationships. Then, the triplets are named, the value space is set, and the schema layer is constructed. Finally, the related information about devices is used to fill the data layer, and then, the knowledge graph is generated. Meanwhile, this study utilizes desktop FDM 3D printing devices as a case example for validation. The method proposed in this study can enhance the accuracy and maintainability of equipment resource management in the manufacturing sector, effectively promoting subsequent activities such as management, analysis, and decision-making.

Abstract The Omicron variant of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‑CoV‑2) infected a substantial proportion of Chinese population, and understanding the factors underlying the severity of the disease and fatality is valuable for future prevention and clinical treatment. We recruited 64 patients with invasive ventilation for COVID-19 and performed metatranscriptomic sequencing to profile host transcriptomic profiles, plus viral, bacterial, and fungal content, as well as virulence factors and examined their relationships to 28-day mortality were examined. In addition, the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) samples from invasive ventilated hospital/community-acquired pneumonia patients (HAP/CAP) sampled in 2019 were included for comparison. Genomic analysis revealed that all Omicron strains belong to BA.5 and BF.7 sub-lineages, with no difference in 28-day mortality between them. Compared to HAP/CAP cohort, invasive ventilated COVID-19 patients have distinct host transcriptomic and microbial signatures in the lower respiratory tract; and in the COVID-19 non-survivors, we found significantly lower gene expressions in pathways related viral processes and positive regulation of protein localization to plasma membrane, higher abundance of opportunistic pathogens including bacterial Alloprevotella, Caulobacter, Escherichia-Shigella, Ralstonia and fungal Aspergillus sydowii and Penicillium rubens. Correlational analysis further revealed significant associations between host immune responses and microbial compositions, besides synergy within viral, bacterial, and fungal pathogens. Our study presents the relationships of lower respiratory tract microbiome and transcriptome in invasive ventilated COVID-19 patients, providing the basis for future clinical treatment and reduction of fatality.

Engineering ceramics with high strength, toughness and electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding effectiveness (SE) are highly desirable as electromagnetic protecting material in harsh environment. Herein, we show that both excellent mechanical and EMI shielding performance can be realized in alumina composites embedded with highly aligned reduced graphene oxide (RGO), which are readily prepared via sintering of core-shell structured RGO@Al2O3 nanoplates with pressure. Compared to monolithic Al2O3, the highly aligned RGO/Al2O3 composites show simultaneously improved strength and toughness up to ∼26.1% and ∼60.2%, respectively. The steeply rising R-curve behavior proves the better crack tolerance in the highly aligned structure with respect to randomly oriented one. Moreover, the RGO/Al2O3 composites also exhibit a high specific EMI SE reaching ∼34 dB/mm in K band, due to the reflection and highly enhanced absorption after percolation in the out-of-plane direction. These findings provide a novel strategy of designing mechanically reliable engineering ceramic for EMI shielding.

Various piezoelectric beam based approaches have been well studied to support vibrational energy harvesting, where the natural frequency of the energy harvester is purposely designed to match the external vibrations. Note that the external vibrations usually exhibit a low frequency nature, which significantly limits the output of piezoelectric beam based energy conversion because the operational frequency for such systems is much higher. In this work, we propose a novel compliant mechanism based energy harvester combining the piezoelectric beam structure with a multi-stable compliant mechanism, which is capable of harvesting vibrational energy with multiple frequency up conversion modes to improve the efficiency of such systems. The proposed design is developed and analyzed from electro-mechanical perspective. A prototype of the proposed method is designed and comprehensively evaluated in various experiments to verify the performance and effectiveness of the piezoelectric energy harvester.

This study reports the synthesis of Ni-TiN composite nanocoatings on a Q235 steel matrix using the electrodeposition technique, and were then treated at different temperatures. The surface morphology, structure, hardness, and abrasion performances of composite nanocoatings were investigated using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and friction-abrasion testing machine. SEM images illustrated smooth/dense surface morphology for Ni-TiN composite nanocoatings treated at 250 °C. XRD patterns revealed Ni and TiN phase appearance within Ni-TiN composite nanocoatings. The broader and low-intensity XRD peaks were observed for the composite following heat treatment at 250 °C, indicating the smallest size of TiN particle and Ni grain. Furthermore, Ni-TiN composite nanocoatings exhibited the highest hardness of 821 Hv following heat treatment at 250 °C. The frictional coefficient, wear rate, and indentation depth for Ni-TiN composite nanocoatings were found to be lowest at 0.45, 0.58 mg/min, and 13.8 μm, respectively after heat treatment at 250 °C. Furthermore, the Ni-TiN composite nanocoatings had peak abrasion resistance across three composite nanocoatings following heat treatment at 250 °C.

Abstract Differentiating dry eye disease (DED) from allergic or viral conjunctivitis rapidly and accurately is important to ensure prompt diagnosis and treatment. Tear lactoferrin (LF), a multi-functional glycoprotein found in tears, decreases significantly in patients with DED, and has been considered as a DED diagnostic biomarker. Measuring tear LF level, however, takes time and requires the use of bulky instruments. Herein, a homogeneous carbon nanostructure-based aptasensor with high sensitivity and selectivity has been developed by applying fluorescence polarization (FP) technology. The FP of carbon dots (CDs) bioconjugated with LF aptamers (CDs-aptamer) is 21.2% higher than that of CDs, which can be further amplified (1.81 times) once interacting with graphene oxide nanosheets (GONS). In the presence of LF, GONS separates from CDs-aptamer because of the stronger binding affinity between CDs-aptamer to LF, resulting in the decrease of FP value. A linear relationship is observed between FP value and LF concentration in spiked tear samples from 0.66 to 3.32 mg/mL. The selectivity of the aptasensor has been investigated by measuring other proteins. The results indicate that the FP-based aptasensor is a cost-effective method with high sensitivity and selectivity in detection of tear LF.

Exudate management is of significant clinical value for the treatment of acute wound. Various wound dressings have been developed to restore the function of injured tissues and promote wound healing, but proper exploiting the healing factors inside exudate and achieving anti-adhesion wound care remains a challenge. Herein, we present a novel multi-functional composite dressing (MCD) by coupling supernatant lyophilized powder of mesenchymal stem cells (MSC-SLP) with a sandwich-structured wound dressing (SWD). The developed MCDs demonstrated unique unidirectional drainage capability, stable anti-adhesion characteristics, and improved wound healing performance. The designed SWD with both superhydrophobic inner surface and liquid-absorption ability of mid layer enables the dressings exhibit desired anti-adhesion property to neoformative granulation tissues, favorable shielding effect to exogenous bacteria, as well as appropriate exudate-retaining capability and unidirectional exudate-absorption property. The introduction of MSC-SLP in SWD was demonstrated to further improve wound healing quality. Compared to medical gauze, the synergic effect of SWD and MSC-SLP significantly accelerates wound healing rate by over 30%, avoids tissue avulsion when changing dressings, and produces a flat-smooth closure surface. More importantly, the wound treated with MCDs presents more skin accessory organs and blood vessels in regenerated tissues than other groups. In vivo/vitro biocompatibility evaluations indicated little toxicity, demonstrating the biosecurity of the developed dressings. The proposed method offers great potential in clinical applications particularly for chronic wound treatments.

The high energy density, nickel‐rich layered cathode material LiNi0.8Mn0.1Co0.1O2 (NMC811) is recognized as a promising candidate for next‐generation battery chemistries. However, due to their structural and interfacial instability, nickel‐rich NMC cathodes still face a number of challenges in practical application. For this reason, the design and development of novel electrolyte formulations, able to stabilize the nickel‐rich cathode|electrolyte interface, are highly demanded. In this work, a novel electrolyte is developed using lithium (difluoromethanesulfonyl) (trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide (LiDFTFSI) and lithium hexafluorophosphate (LiPF6) as salt blend in an organic carbonate‐solvent based solvent mixture. The presence of LiDFTFSI notably enhances the electrochemical performance of the resulting NMC811||graphite cells. Further advancement of the considered cell chemistry is achieved by introducing the well‐known functional electrolyte additive vinylene carbonate (VC), which was found to feature a synergistic effect with LiDFTFSI. The formation of a homogenous, effective, and robust solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) as well as cathode electrolyte interphase (CEI) on the corresponding electrodes resulted in superior electrochemical performance.