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This study proposed a new solution treatment process for optimizing the microstructure and properties of Al–Zn–Mg–Cu alloy, by introducing a pre-treatment process that can achieve sufficient recovery and trace recrystallization of the alloy, namely, 350°C pre-treatment (PT-350°C), prior to traditional solution treatment. Research has found that during the PT-350°C/12h process, a large amount of nanoscale η(Mg(Zn,Cu)2) phases in the extruded state dissolved, diffused, re-precipitated on the larger η(Mg(Zn,Cu)2) phases, and formed a large particles, with a size of about 0.74 μm, mainly distributed at the grain boundaries of the matrix. In the subsequent multi-stage solution treatment (MST) process, while fully dissolving, they also had a certain inhibitory effect on the growth of matrix grains. More importantly, the alloy underwent sufficient recovery and slight recrystallization during the PT-350°C/12h, significantly reducing dislocation density, suppressing the degree of recrystallization, and refining the grains of the alloy during MST process. The intragranular aging precipitate changed from the η '+ η phase of MST to the GP zone + η′ phase of PT-350°C/12h + MST, with an increase in content and a decrease in size. The distribution of grain boundary precipitates (GBPs) transformed from continuous to discontinuous. The yield strength, ultimate tensile strength, and elongation increased from 740 MPa, 755 MPa, and 2.9% to 778 MPa, 792 MPa, and 5.8%, respectively. The corrosion resistance of the alloy also had significantly improved, in 3.5 wt%NaCl solution, the corrosion current density decreased from 4.02 × 10−6 A cm−2 to 8.33 × 10−7 A cm−2.

Abstract Background Visual quality after corneal refractive surgery is linked to the postoperative effective optical zone (EOZ). This study aims to compare long-term changes in the EOZ following small incision lenticule extraction (SMILE) and femtosecond laser-assisted in-situ keratomileusis (FS-LASIK) for moderate and high myopia. Methods This study included 42 patients (72 eyes) who underwent either SMILE (36 eyes) or FS-LASIK (36 eyes). A custom software program based on the tangential curvature difference map of the Pentacam HR (Oculus Optikgeräte GmbH) was used to define the EOZ at 3 and 7 years postoperatively. The EOZ, its chronological changes compared to the programmed optical zone (POZ), and the corneal wavefront aberrations following SMILE and FS-LASIK were analyzed. Correlations between the EOZ changes and relevant parameters were evaluated. Results Three years postoperatively, EOZ following SMILE and FS-LASIK were 5.13 ± 0.27 mm and 4.70 ± 0.24 mm (P

In this study, a hot isostatic pressing (HIP) manufactured SiC particles (SiCp) reinforced high alloyed Al–Zn–Mg–Cu–Zr–Ti aluminum matrix composite was fabricated through ball-milling, HIP, homogenization, hot extrusion, solution treatment, and aging treatment. The results showed the presence of an interfacial reaction layer, MgAl2O4, around the SiCp, which enhanced the bonding between the particles and the matrix. The aging treatment resulted in the formation of different aging precipitates, which were featured by GP zone for T4, GP zone + η' (metastable MgZn2) + η (stable MgZn2) for T6 and GP zone + η' (metastable MgZn2) for T6I4. The composite samples of T4, T6, and T6I4 exhibited different mechanical properties. Specifically, the elastic modulus was measured as 102.9, 103.4, and 102.3 GPa, the yield strength was 685.3, 598.1, and 619.7 MPa, the ultimate tensile strength was 713.6, 618.9, and 633.3 MPa, and the elongation was 2.2%, 1.8%, and 2.8%, respectively. Furthermore, the corrosion behavior of the composite was evaluated through electrochemical, intergranular corrosion, and exfoliation corrosion. The corrosion current density was found to be 3.17 × 10−7, 4.97 × 10−7, and 3.67 × 10−7 A cm−2, the corrosion potential was measured as −0.70, −0.81, and −0.56 V, and the maximum intergranular corrosion depth was 139.9, 167.8, and 106.2 μm for T4, T6, and T6I4, respectively. The severity of exfoliation corrosion varied, with T4 showing severe pitting, T6 exhibiting moderate pitting, and T6I4 displaying slight pitting. The strengthening mechanism and load transfer strengthening of the composites were discussed in detail based on theoretical calculations, and the anti-corrosion mechanisms were also analyzed.

Abstract Testosterone has complex effects on psychological traits and behavior; it is associated with social dominance and competition and is a potential human sex pheromone. This study aimed to investigate the associations between testosterone levels, aggressive behavior, and manic symptoms using a network analysis among bipolar disorder (BD) patients in psychiatric emergency departments (PED). Data from January 2021 and March 2022 BD patients in PED were analyzed. Manic symptoms were assessed using the Young Mania Rating Scale (YMRS). Aggression was assessed with subscale of the PANSS scale (PANSS-AG). The undirected network structures of testosterone levels, aggressive behavior, and manic symptoms were estimated, and centrality and bridge centrality indices were examined. Network stability was examined using the case-dropping procedure. The Network Comparison Test (NCT) was conducted to evaluate whether network characteristics differed by gender. We recruited a total of 898 BD patients, with the mean YMRS score as 13.30 ± 9.58. The prevalence of level II aggression was 35.6% (95%CI = 32.5%–38.7%), level III aggression was 29.5% (95%CI = 26.3%–32.6%), and level VI aggression was 7.0% (95%CI = 5.4%–8.8%). The male participants had a mean testosterone level of 391.71 (Standard Deviation (SD):223.39) compared to 36.90 (SD:30.50) for female participants in the whole sample. Through network analysis, “Increased motor activity-energy” emerged as the central symptom, with the highest centrality expected influence, followed by “Emotional Instability” and “Disruptive/aggression behavior”. Notably, “Emotional Instability” appeared to be the bridge symptom linking manic symptoms to aggressive behavior. Within the flow network model, “Speech rate and amount” exhibited the strongest positive correlation with testosterone levels, followed closely by “Disruptive/aggression behavior”. The constructed network model demonstrated robust stability, with gender showing no significant impact on the structure. In this study, “Increased motor activity-energy” stood out as the most influential symptom, and “Speech rate and amount” acted as the main bridge symptom linking testosterone levels, aggressive behavior, and manic symptoms. Targeting the central and bridge symptoms may improve the outcomes of aggression interventions implemented among BD patients in psychiatric emergency care.

Background This study investigated the genetic characteristics of five Chinese families with keratoconus (KC). Methods In the five families affected by KC, medical records, clinical observations, and blood samples were collected from all individuals. All KC family members (n = 20) underwent both whole exome sequencing of genomic DNA and Sanger sequencing to confirm the variants. Online software was utilized to analyze all variants, and the online server I-TASSER was employed for in silico predictions of the three-dimensional protein structures of the variants. The newly discovered variants and single nucleotide polymorphisms were further examined in 322 sporadic KC patients. Results The Pentacam tomographic composite index in those affected first-degree family members of the probands showed a pathological change. Five new variants were detected in the five probands and other affected members in their families: a heterozygous missense variant g.19043832C>T (p.Ser145Asn) in the homer scaffolding protein 3 (HOMER3) gene; a heterozygous missense variant g.99452113G>A (p.Gly483Arg) in the insulin-like growth factor 1 receptor (IGF1R) gene; a heterozygous missense variant g.55118280G>T (p.Trp843Leu) in the echinoderm microtubule-associated protein like 6 (EML6) gene; a heterozygous frameshift variant c. 1226_1227del (p.Gln410Glufs*17) in the DOP1 leucine zipper-like protein B (DOP1B) gene; and a heterozygous splice-site variant c.7776+2T>A in the neurobeachin-like protein 2 (NBEAL2) gene. These variations were predicted to be potentially pathogenic and associated with KC. Conclusion Five novel variants in HOMER3, IGF1R, EML6, DOP1B, and NBEAL2 genes were identified in this study and may be associated with the pathogenesis of KC. This study provides new information about the gene variants and their protein changes in KC patients. The findings should be explored further and could potentially be applied to the early diagnosis of KC before clinical onset.

IntroductionBecause Alzheimer’s disease (AD) has significant heterogeneity in encephalatrophy and clinical manifestations, AD research faces two critical challenges: eliminating the impact of natural aging and extracting valuable clinical data for patients with AD.MethodsThis study attempted to address these challenges by developing a novel machine-learning model called tensorized contrastive principal component analysis (T-cPCA). The objectives of this study were to predict AD progression and identify clinical subtypes while minimizing the influence of natural aging.ResultsWe leveraged a clinical variable space of 872 features, including almost all AD clinical examinations, which is the most comprehensive AD feature description in current research. T-cPCA yielded the highest accuracy in predicting AD progression by effectively minimizing the confounding effects of natural aging.DiscussionThe representative features and pathogenic circuits of the four primary AD clinical subtypes were discovered. Confirmed by clinical doctors in Tangdu Hospital, the plaques (18F-AV45) distribution of typical patients in the four clinical subtypes are consistent with representative brain regions found in four AD subtypes, which further offers novel insights into the underlying mechanisms of AD pathogenesis.

Abstract Background Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been extensively investigated in the field of cancer, among which, lncRNA ladybird homeobox 2-antisense RNA 1 (LBX2-AS1) has been demonstrated to exert carcinogenic effects on a variety of malignancies. However, the biological functions of LBX2-AS1 in clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) have not been explicitly elucidated. Methods Arraystar lncRNA chip and qRT-PCR verify the expression of LncRNA LBX2-AS1 in ccRCC. CCK-8 assay and cell cloning assay were used to assess the proliferative capacity of ccRCC cells. Migration abilities were quantified by scratch assay and transwell assay. Potential molecular signaling pathways were determined by high-throughput whole transcriptomics analysis. WB analysis was performed to validate the relationship between LBX2-AS1 and key molecules of mitophagy pathway. The effect of LBX2-AS1 on mitophagy was observed by laser confocal microscopy. Rescue experiments further validated the role of downstream gene FOXO3A in the LBX2-AS1 signaling pathway. Finally, the authentic effect of LBX2-AS1 was verified in vivo. Results LncRNA LBX2-AS1 was over expressed in ccRCC tissues and could enhance the proliferation and migration of ccRCC cells. Autophagic pathway was identified as a possible mechanism involved in the oncogenic effect of LBX2-AS1. Mitophagy levels were observed in LBX2-AS1 low-expressing cells through laser confocal microscopy. Knockdown of LBX2-AS1 significantly elevated mitophagy levels as observed using laser confocal microscopy and led to FOXOA3 decreasing in and BNIP3L and LC3 enrichment. Meanwhile, LBX2-AS1 knocking down dampened the proliferation of ccRCC cells in vivo.

Japanese flounder is usually gonochoristic, with gonads that are either testes or ovaries. Here, we report an unusual case of hermaphroditism in Japanese flounder captured from the Bohai Sea. In the intersex flounder, the membrane of the upper ovary was closely connected to the abdominal muscles and internal organs, and the eggs filled the entire abdomen. The lower ovary was small and closely connected to the testes. The testes contained few fully mature sperm. Both eggs and sperm were capable of fertilization. The levels of several reproduction-related hormones (17β-estradiol, 11-ketotestosterone, 17α, 20β-dihydroxyprogesterone, luteinizing hormone, follicle-stimulating hormone, and testosterone) in the intersex flounder were intermediate, between those in females and males. The results showed that the heterozygosity of the intersex flounder was 0.632, and there were 28 single-nucleotide polymorphisms in the cyp21a gene. Compared with that of wild flounder, the activity of 21-hydroxylase was reduced by approximately 20.0%, and expressions of cyp19a, amh, and dmrt1 differed. We present the first report of its kind, detailing the anatomy, hormonal endocrinology, molecular biology, and physiology of the intersex Japanese flounder.

Surface coal mining in semi-arid regions has detrimental impacts on the structure and function of surface ecosystems, thereby impeding the attainment of regional sustainable development goals. Moreover, the impact of climate change on ecological restoration in semi-arid mining areas is an inevitable consideration. To elucidate the response of ecosystem services in mining areas to regional climate change, topography, soil, vegetation and socioeconomic development, this study selected six large-scale surface coal mines located in semi-arid regions of China as research objects. In this study, we aimed to assess the main ecosystem services (carbon sequestration, soil conservation, and flow regulation) provided by these mines. In addition, we analysed the spatial and temporal evolution and interrelationships of these ecosystem services. Furthermore, we explored the underlying mechanisms between ecosystem services and environmental factors. The results showed the following: (1) Geospatially, there was a gradual decrease in carbon sequestration and flow regulation from northeast to southwest in the mining areas. However, the soil conservation exhibited an upward trend. Throughout the research period, the carbon sequestration change rate in the six mining areas displayed an initial downward and subsequent upward trend, the rate of soil conservation exhibited a gradual upward trend, and the flow regulation decline rate followed a downward trend. (2) Change rate of carbon sequestration and soil conservation in the six mining areas showed a significant positive correlation (r = 0.51, p < 0.001), with the strongest correlation observed in the Shengli Mining Area (r = 0.64, p < 0.001). (3) Ecosystem service changes in the mining areas were primarily driven by initial conditions (95.0%), followed by meteorological factors (4.2%). Three ecological restoration models were proposed for the different regions based on driver analyses. The findings of this study offer scientific evidence that can be used to inform ecological management, enhance ecological security, and promote regional sustainable development in mining areas.

Defect detection on wafers holds immense significance in producing micro- and nano-semiconductors. As manufacturing processes grow in complexity, wafer maps may display a mixture of defect types, necessitating the utilization of more intricate deep learning models for effective feature learning. However, sophisticated models come with a demand for substantial computational resources. In this paper, we propose an efficient deep learning framework designed explicitly for mix-type wafer map defect pattern recognition. Our proposed model incorporates several crucial design elements, including lightweight convolutions, bottleneck residual connections, efficient channel attention mechanisms, and optimized activation functions, enabling it to learn spatial and channel features efficiently. We conduct evaluations on a real-world dataset containing 38 mixed-type defect patterns. The experimental results demonstrate that our framework maintains a high level of accuracy while possessing a compact parameter size and remarkably fast inference speed.

Abstract Suicidality in mood disorder patients is common, especially in emergency department (ED), but the patterns and associated factors of suicidality are not clear. This study compared biomarkers and mental health symptoms (i.e., depression, anxiety, and psychiatric symptoms) between mood disorder patients with and without the whole range of suicidality comprising suicidal ideation (SI), suicide plan (SP), and suicide attempt (SA). This cross-sectional, comparative, convenient-sampling study was conducted between January 2021 and March 2022, in emergency department of Beijing Anding Hospital, China. Patients with mood disorders at a psychiatric emergency department were assessed, with measurements of suicidality, biomarkers, depressive, anxiety, and psychiatric symptoms were assessed using the 24 items-Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAMD-24), Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HAMA), Young Manic Rating Scale (YMRS) and Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS), respectively. The propensity score matching (PSM) method was used to identify patients in mood disorder with and without SI, SP, and SA. A generalized linear model (GLM) was used to assess the differences in biomarkers, depressive, anxiety, and psychiatric symptoms between patients in mood disorder with and without SI, SP, and SA. In total, 898 participated in this survey and completed the assessment. Illness duration was significantly negatively associated with SA (OR = 0.969, 95%CI = 0.939–0.999, P = 0.046). HAMD-24 total score was significantly positively associated with the SI (OR = 1.167, 95%CI = 1.134–1.201, p

Abstract Background Transepithelial corneal crosslinking (CXL) is a novel surgical approach for the treatment of keratoconus, which is a bilateral asymmetrical ophthalmological disease accompanied by progressive corneal ectasia. Silicon hydrogel (SiH) contact lenses have been extensively used in clinical ophthalmologic medicine, as a postoperative ophthalmological intervention. However, the ideal lens application duration after transepithelial CXL remains uncertain. Here, we aimed to investigate the effects and comfort of immediate corneal contact lens use after transepithelial CXL for keratoconus. Methods In this prospective study, 60 patients with keratoconus who underwent transepithelial CXL treatment were enrolled from September 2021 to January 2023 with a male:female ratio of 39:21, and an average age of 25.42 ± 5.47 years. The patients were divided randomly into two groups: group A contained 30 patients wearing silicone hydrogel contact lenses for 7 days postoperatively, and group B contained 30 patients wearing the same contact lenses for 3 days. Ten subjective ophthalmologic symptoms were surveyed by the patients, including pain, photophobia, foreign body sensation, tearing, burning, blurred vision, dry eyes, difficulty opening the eyes, astringency, and stinging. Ophthalmologic signs, including corneal edema and conjunctival congestion, were recorded by a single clinician on postoperative days 1, 3, and 7. Results Each surgical procedure was readily performed without complications, and both groups postoperative day 7 (P = 0.04), where group B scored (0.01 ± 0.41) lesser than group A (0.12 ± 0.29), whilst corneal edema in both groups recorded significantly different on postoperative days 5 and 7 (group A demonstrated the result of 0.17 ± 0.14 and 0.08 ± 0.11 for the respective days, whereas group B indicated 0.10 ± 0.13 and 0.03 ± 0.07 at the corresponding times). Conclusions Immediate use of silicone hydrogel corneal lenses after transepithelial CXL effectively alleviates postoperative ocular distress, particularly with a three-day use period as the ideal duration.

Abstract Background This research investigated the genetic characteristic of two Chinese families with keratoconus (KC). Methods For all people in the two families with KC, their history, clinical data, and peripheral blood were collected. One hundred healthy participants without KC and 112 sporadic KC patients were recruited as the controls. Whole exome sequencing of the genomic DNA and polymerase chain reaction were conducted for all the controls and family members to verify the variants. Functional analyses of the variants was performed using the software programs. Results A missense tuberous sclerosis 1 (TSC1) variant g.135797247A > G (c.622A > G, p.Ser208Gly) was detected in family 1. A single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) rs761232139 (p.Gly235Arg) in aldehyde dehydrogenase 3 family member A1 (ALDH3A1) gene was detected in family 2. The variant c.622A > G in TSC1 and the SNP rs761232139 in ALDH3A1 were predicted as being probably damaging. Conclusions Novel variant c.622A > G in TSC1 and SNP rs761232139 in ALDH3A1 have been detected in families with KC. These two findings may play a role in the pathogenesis of KC.

[Objective] The temporal and spatial variation of carbon emissions due to land use changes and the factors influencing carbon emissions in Yunnan Province were analyzed in order to provide a theoretical basis for optimizing land use structure and achieving the low-carbon development goal in Yunnan Province. [Methods] Carbon emissions for Yunnan Province were calculated based on land use and fossil energy consumption data in Yunnan Province in 2005, 2010, 2015, and 2020. Spatial visualization and spatial autocorrelation were used to study the temporal and spatial variation and spatial agglomeration characteristics of carbon emissions from 2005 to 2020. The influencing factors were analyzed by geographical detectors. [Results] ① From 2005 to 2020, the area of construction land in Yunnan Province increased the most, with a dynamic change of 7.90%. ② Regional net carbon emissions increased rapidly, with an annual increase of 6.5%. The spatial pattern of carbon emissions was characterized as “higher in the central region and lower in the surrounding area”. The carbon footprint increased significantly during the study period, and the carbon ecological carrying capacity was relatively stable, resulting in an increasing carbon ecological deficit. ③ Population size, economic level, industrial structure, land use, etc. promoted the increase in carbon emissions for cities and counties in Yunnan Province. [Conclusion] In Yunnan Province, measures should be taken in the future to protect or reasonably increase the area of carbon sinks (such as forest land) and to strengthen dynamic monitoring, control the area of construction land and total energy consumption, explore the carbon compensation mechanism, and employ the radiation effect of carbon sink areas.

Aiming at the issues of poor hydration activity, long setting time, and low early strength in industrial by-product fluorogypsum (FG), 1,2,3-propenyltricarboxylic acid (PA) was utilized to enhance its reactivity. The mechanism was investigated using modern analytical techniques such as XRD, 1H low-field NMR, and FTIR spectroscopy. The results indicate that the incorporation of PA can significantly augment the rate of FG hydration and enhance its hydration activity. The optimal concentration of PA was determined to be 0.008%. The FG paste exhibited a reduction in setting time by approximately 500 min compared to the control sample. Furthermore, the flexural and compressive strengths increased by 29.6% (reaching 3.5 MPa) and 40.2% (reaching 40.1 MPa), respectively, after a curing period of 28 d. Through the process of physical adsorption, PA facilitates the transformation from anhydrite (CaSO4-II) to dihydrate gypsum (CaSO4·2H2O). Subsequently, PA promotes the growth of dihydrate gypsum crystals along each crystal axis, resulting in the formation of regular hexagonal prisms. The prismatic crystals of dihydrate gypsum are arranged in a closely packed, layered structure that results in reduced pore and porosity content, and enhanced mechanical strength.

Background: Brittle cornea syndrome 1 (BCS1) is a rare autosomal recessive disorder characterized by corneal and sclera thinning and fragility that is caused by zinc finger protein 469 (ZNF469) gene mutation. Keratoconus is another disease related to corneal thinning. Several reports have linked ZNF469 variants and keratoconus. We recruited a four-generation BCS1 family and two keratoconus families to explore pathogenic ZNF469 variants. Methods: This study included 11 members from a family with BCS1, 2 families with keratoconus, 368 sporadic keratoconus patients and 325 unrelated healthy controls. Whole exome sequencing of DNA from peripheral blood and cross species conservation analysis was used to investigate and verify ZNF469 variants. Results: A new homozygous frameshift mutation c. 6727del (p.Asp2243Thr fs*8) in ZNF469 was detected in the BSC1 family. Two ZNF469 heterozygous variants g.88494671G > A (c.793G > A, p.G265S, rs754776767) were detected in keratoconus family 1 and a heterozygous missense variant g.88498262G > A (c.4384G > A, p.D1462 N, rs577890057) was found in keratoconus family 2. Based on the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics guidelines, rs577890057 and rs754776767 were predicted to be variants of uncertain significance. c. 6727del (p. Asp2243Thr fs*8) in ZNF469 was identified to be pathogenic. Conclusions: We identified a new homozygous frameshift mutation and two heterozygous missense variations in ZNF469 in the three families. Our findings extend the spectrum of ZNF469 variants associated with keratoconus.

BackgroundMyopia poses a global health concern and is influenced by both genetic and environmental factors. The incidence of myopia tends to increase during infectious outbreaks, such as the COVID-19 pandemic. This study examined the screen-time behaviors among Chinese children and adolescents and investigated the efficacy of artificial intelligence (AI)-based alerts in modifying screen-time practices.MethodsA cross-sectional analysis was performed using data from 6,716 children and adolescents with AI-enhanced tablets that monitored and recorded their behavior and environmental light during screen time.ResultsThe median daily screen time of all participants was 58.82 min. Among all age groups, elementary-school students had the longest median daily screen time, which was 87.25 min and exceeded 4 h per week. Children younger than 2 years engaged with tablets for a median of 41.84 min per day. Learning accounted for 54.88% of participants’ screen time, and 51.03% (3,390/6,643) of the participants used tablets for 1 h at an average distance

A synthetic organic substance called bisphenol A (BPA) is used to make polyester, epoxy resin, polyacrylate, and polycarbonate plastic. BPA exposure on a regular basis has increased the risk of developing cancer. Recent research has shown that there is a strong link between BPA exposure and a number of malignancies. We want to investigate any connections between BPA and prostate cancer in this work. The scores of bisphenols in the prostate cancer cohort were obtained using the ssGSEA algorithm. The analysis of Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment was used to investigate probable pathways that are closely related to the genes tied to BPA. The BPA-based risk model was built using regression analysis. Additionally, the molecular docking method was employed to assess BPA's capacity to attach to important genes. Finally, we were able to successfully get the BPA cohort ratings for prostate cancer patients. Additionally, the KEGG enrichment study showed that of the malignancies linked to BPA, prostate cancer is the most highly enriched. In a group of men with prostate cancer, the BPA-related prognostic prediction model exhibits good predictive value. The BPA demonstrated strong and efficient binding to the androgen receptor, according to the molecular docking studies. According to cell proliferation and invasion experiments, exposing prostate cancer cells to BPA at a dosage of 10–7 uM could greatly enhance their ability to proliferate and invade.