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Abstract Background Emphysematous pyelonephritis is a rare and severe urinary tract infection that is potentially life-threatening and easily progresses to septic shock. In this report, we present a unique case of emphysematous pyelonephritis caused by Raoultella ornithinolytica. Case presentation An 86-year-old man presented with severe back pain of 3 days’ duration. He had a history of hypertension and diabetes for more than 20 years, and his infection indicators and serum creatinine were elevated. Abdominal computed tomography revealed an abnormal gas shadow around his right kidney and the anterior edge of his right psoas muscle. Consequently, he was initially diagnosed with emphysematous pyelonephritis. There was no evidence of nephrolithiasis or other anatomical or structural abnormalities that could have precipitated this focal renal infection. Both blood and drainage fluid cultures revealed R. ornithinolytica. After early anti-infection treatment, percutaneous drainage and moderate control of blood glucose, the patient gradually recovered. Conclusions Emphysematous pyelonephritis caused by R. ornithinolytica is rare but has a high drug resistance rate potentially and may cause severe infections. Early diagnosis, prompt use of antibiotics that are sensitive to the organism, and decompression drainage could be the key to treatment.

Abstract To explore the performance of 99mTc-diethylene triaminepentaacetic acid (DTPA) SPECT/CT texture analysis in evaluating the activity of thyroid-associated ophthalmopathy (TAO) . This retrospective study examined 115 TAO patients from a single institution as an internal cohort and 58 TAO patients from another institution as an external validation set. Patients in the internal cohort were randomly divided into training (n = 81) and internal validation sets (n = 34). Radiomics signatures were constructed with the minimal redundancy maximal relevance and least absolute shrinkage and selection operator algorithms in training set. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to develop a clinical model and a combined clinical–radiomics model. Diagnostic performance of models was evaluated using receiver operating characteristic curve analysis, calibration curves and decision curve analysis. Compared with CT and SPECT radiomics models, Rad-scoreSPECT/CT demonstrated the best performance with areas under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.94 and 0.91 in the training and test sets, respectively. The combined clinical-radiomics model exhibited significantly better performance in evaluating TAO activity. Our results demonstrate the validity of a multimodal radiomic model of 99mTc-DTPA-SPECT/CT to assess TAO activity. The combined clinical-radiomics model exhibited significantly better diagnostic performance than the clinical model.

Abstract For coordinated regional growth and the development of high-quality manufacturing, China must narrow its regional energy efficiency gap and catch up inter-regionally. This paper focuses on whether China’s inter-provincial manufacturing energy efficiency has technological diffusion and a catch-up effect and explores its possible influencing factors, which are important for narrowing the differences in China’s manufacturing energy efficiency and promoting the improvement of the overall level of efficiency. Between 2011 and 2020, 30 Chinese manufacturing industries will be evaluated using a non-radial distance function model under environmental conditions. By employing the Dagum Gini coefficient method, regional disparities were analyzed, with hyper-variable density and efficiency discrepancies between regions making a noteworthy contribution. This paper evaluated a catch-up effect by constructing a frontier productivity model that considered the influence of China’s manufacturing energy efficiency. Results show a general rise in energy efficiency, particularly in coastal regions, higher than inland ones. The Gini coefficient of energy efficiency in manufacturing experienced a slight increase; however, when comparing it to the regional efficiency frontier, the catch-up effect and technology diffusion effect of China’s provincial manufacturing energy efficiency become more pronounced when taking into account the national efficiency frontier; the sub-regional manufacturing energy efficiency catch-up effect has different performances; the catch-up and technology diffusion effect is more evident after controlling for Economic development, innovation levels, the environmental regulation, and the proportion of high-energy-consumption output value and other influencing factors.

Abstract Data-driven decision making (DDDM) is becoming an indispensable component of work across various fields, and the perception of aberrant data (PAD) has emerged as an essential skill. Nonetheless, the neural processing mechanisms underpinning PAD remain incompletely elucidated. Direct evidence linking neural oscillations to PAD is currently lacking, and the impact of cognitive load remains ambiguous. We address this issue using EEG time-frequency analysis. Data were collected from 21 healthy participants. The experiment employed a 2 (low vs. high cognitive load) × 2 [PAD+ (aberrant data accurately identified as aberrant) vs. PAD- (non-aberrant data correctly recognized as normal)] within-subject laboratory design. Results indicate that upper β band oscillations (26–30 Hz) were significantly enhanced in the PAD + condition compared to PAD-, with consistent activity observed in the frontal (p

Abstract Background Several studies have reported that combination antiretroviral therapy (cART) enhances the hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) clearance rate in Human Immunodeficiency Virus-1/Hepatitis B Virus (HIV/HBV) coinfected patients, yet the associated immunological characteristics remain unclear. Methods Global and specific immune phenotypic profiles were examined in 48 patients with HIV/HBV coinfection before cART and at 1-year, and 3-year after cART using flow cytometry. In addition, 61 patients with HBV monoinfection were included for comparison. Results HBsAg response (sAg-R) was defined as > 0.5 log decrease within six months of cART initiation, and 16 patients achieved it. Patients with sAg-R (the sAg-R group) exhibited distinct immune phenotypes compared to those of HBsAg-retained patients (the sAg-NR group). Notably, patients with sAg-R had lower CD4+ T cell counts and a higher number of HBcAg-specific T cells. Further, the sAg-R group exhibited upregulation of HLA-DR, Ki67, and PD-1 in CD4+ T cells and heightened HLA-DR and T-bet in CD8+ T cells. However, the sAg-R group had fewer TEMRA cells but more TEM and Th17 cells than those in the sAg-NR group. Expression of various markers, including HLA-DR+CD4+, Ki67+CD4+, PD-1+CD4+, CD38+CD8+, HLA-DR+CD8+, TIM-3+CD8+, HBV-specific CD4+ T cell secreting IFN-γ and IL-2, and specific CD8+ T cell secreting IFN-γ and IL-2, correlated with HBsAg decrease. Conclusion The decline in HBsAg levels during cART in HIV/HBV coinfection involves significant alterations in CD4+ and CD8+ T cells phenotypes, offering a novel perspective on a functional HBV cure.

Some core designs integrate high-enriched fuel and moderator materials to enhance neutron utilization. This combination results in a broad spectrum within the system, posing challenges in resonance calculation. This paper introduces a general framework to realize resonance self-shielding treatment in broad-spectrum fuel lattice problems. The framework consists of three components. First, a new energy group structure is devised to support resonance calculation in the entire energy range and capture spectral transition and thermalization effects during eigenvalue calculation. Second, the subgroup method based on narrow approximation is selected as a universal method to perform resonance calculation. Finally, transport equations for each fissionable region are solved for neutron flux to collapse the fission spectrum. The proposed method is verified against fast, intermediate, and thermal spectrum pin cell problems and an assembly problem featuring a fast-thermal coupled spectrum. Numerical results affirm the accuracy of the proposed method in handling these scenarios, with eigenvalue errors below 154 pcm for pin cell problems and 106 pcm for the assembly problem. The verification results revealed that the proposed method enables accurate resonance self-shielding treatment for broad-spectrum problems.

Abstract Background The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of da Vinci robot-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (RATS) versus video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) for the treatment of patients with mediastinal tumors of different body mass indices (BMI). Methods A retrospective cohort study was used to collect 260 patients with mediastinal tumors admitted to three medical centers in China from December 2020 to March 2024. These patients underwent mediastinal tumor resection by RATS (n = 125) or VATS (n = 135). Propensity score matching (PSM) analysis was performed for the both groups, and further, the patients were divided into the N-BMI group (18.5 kg/m2 ≤ BMI

High purity and ultrafine DAAF (u-DAAF) is an emerging insensitive charge in initiators. Although there are many ways to obtain u-DAAF, developing a preparation method with stable operation, accurate control, good quality consistency, equipment miniaturization, and minimum manpower is an inevitable requirement to adapt to the current social technology development trend. Here reported is the microfluidic preparation of u-DAAF with tunable particle size by a passive swirling microreactor. Under the guidance of recrystallization growth kinetics and mixing behavior of fluids in the swirling microreactor, the key parameters (liquid flow rate, explosive concentration and crystallization temperature) were screened and optimized through screening experiments. Under the condition that no surfactant is added and only experimental parameters are controlled, the particle size of recrystallized DAAF can be adjusted from 98 nm to 785 nm, and the corresponding specific surface area is 8.45 m2·g−1 to 1.33 m2·g−1. In addition, the preparation method has good batch stability, high yield (90.8%–92.6%) and high purity (99.0%–99.4%), indicating a high practical application potential. Electric explosion derived flyer initiation tests demonstrate that the u-DAAF shows an initiation sensitivity much lower than that of the raw DAAF, and comparable to that of the refined DAAF by conventional spraying crystallization method. This study provides an efficient method to fabricate u-DAAF with narrow particle size distribution and high reproducibility as well as a theoretical reference for fabrication of other ultrafine explosives.

Introducing additional oxidizers in aluminized explosives is an effective way to improve energy performance by enhancing the secondary combustion reaction. In this work, perfluorocarbon as oxidizer has been introduced into TATB/Al based energetic materials to improve combustion reaction and energy output performance. The uniform TATB/Al/perfluorocarbon composites are prepared through acoustic resonance mixed technology, and the energy and pressure output performance are fully studied in air blast and underwater explosion. A significantly exothermic peak derived from the reaction between fluorine and Al is observed between 540 ℃ and 580 ℃ for TATB/Al/perfluorocarbon. The heat of explosion of TATB/Al/perfluorocarbon is increased first and then decreased with F/Al ratio from 0 to 0.608. The highest heat of explosion is 6021 J/g for TATB/Al/perfluorocarbon with F/Al ratio of 0.274. Furthermore, the enhanced working capacity, the significantly enlarged fireball and relatively high overpressure are obtained for TATB/Al/perfluorocarbon. More importantly, the shock impulse and first bubble oscillation time of TATB/Al/perfluorocarbon have been increased by 23.2% and 21.18% during underwater explosion, respectively. The results further illustrate that adding perfluorocarbon is a feasible approach to enhance energy output due to combustion reaction between fluorine and Al, which can be applied in explosives and propellants.

Let $ \mathbb{F}_q $ be the finite field of $ q $ elements, and $ \mathbb{F}_{q^{n}} $ its extension of degree $ n $. A normal basis of $ \mathbb{F}_{q^{n}} $ over $ \mathbb{F}_q $ is a basis of the form $ \{\alpha, \alpha^{q}, \cdots, \alpha^{q^{n-1}}\} $. Some problems on normal bases can be finally reduced to the determination of the irreducible factors of the polynomial $ x^{n}-1 $ in $ \mathbb{F}_q $, while the latter is closely related to the cyclotomic polynomials. Denote by $ \mathfrak{F}(x^{n}-1) $ the set of all distinct monic irreducible factors of $ x^{n}-1 $ in $ \mathbb{F}_q $. The criteria for $ |\mathfrak{F}(x^{n}-1)|\leq 2 $ have been studied in the literature. In this paper, we provide the sufficient and necessary conditions for $ |\mathfrak{F}(x^{n}-1)| = s, $ where $ s $ is a positive integer by using the properties of cyclotomic polynomials and results from the Diophantine equations. As an application, we obtain the sufficient and necessary conditions for $ |\mathfrak{F}(x^{n}-1)| = 3, 4, 5. $

Abstract Fertility requires the faithful proliferation of germ cells and their differentiation into gametes. Controlling these cellular states demands precise timing and expression of gene networks. Nucleic acid binding proteins (NBPs) play critical roles in gene expression networks that influence germ cell development. There has, however, been no functional analysis of the entire NBP repertoire in controlling in vivo germ cell development. Here, we analyzed germ cell states and germline architecture to systematically investigate the function of 364 germline-expressed NBPs in the Caenorhabditis elegans germ line. Using germline-specific knockdown, automated germ cell counting, and high-content analysis of germ cell nuclei and plasma membrane organization, we identify 156 NBPs with discrete autonomous germline functions. By identifying NBPs that control the germ cell cycle, proliferation, differentiation, germline structure and fertility, we have created an atlas for mechanistic dissection of germ cell behavior and gamete production.

Abstract Background Melkersson-Rosenthal syndrome (MRS) is a rare neuro-mucocutaneous disorder characterized by recurrent edema, facial palsies, and nerve dysfunctions often associated with the plicata tongue. Although the etiology of MRS is not well understood, there is growing evidence suggesting an autoimmune involvement. Case presentation This paper presents a case report of a 25-year-old male with MRS as the initial symptom, followed by temporomandibular joint osteoarthritis (TMJ-OA). A comprehensive diagnosis and multidisciplinary treatment approach including surgery, local injections, and oral medication were implemented, resulting in a favorable prognosis. Conclusions These findings support the hypothesis that MRS is a systemic granulomatous disease caused by autoimmunity, which may also influence the occurrence and development of TMJ-OA through immune-related mechanisms. This study emphasizes the significance of systemic immune regulation in the treatment of patients with MRS and TMJ-OA comorbid conditions.

Abstract In response to the challenges of Multi‐Object Tracking (MOT) in sports scenes, such as severe occlusions, similar appearances, drastic pose changes, and complex motion patterns, a deep‐learning framework CTGMOT (CNN‐Transformer‐GNN‐based MOT) specifically for multiple athlete tracking in sports videos that performs joint modelling of detection, appearance and motion features is proposed. Firstly, a detection network that combines Convolutional Neural Networks (CNN) and Transformers is constructed to extract both local and global features from images. The fusion of appearance and motion features is achieved through a design of parallel dual‐branch decoders. Secondly, graph models are built using Graph Neural Networks (GNN) to accurately capture the spatio‐temporal correlations between object and trajectory features from inter‐frame and intra‐frame associations. Experimental results on the public sports tracking dataset SportsMOT show that the proposed framework outperforms other state‐of‐the‐art methods for MOT in complex sport scenes. In addition, the proposed framework shows excellent generality on benchmark datasets MOT17 and MOT20.

Abstract Neurons coordinate inter-tissue protein homeostasis to systemically manage cytotoxic stress. In response to neuronal mitochondrial stress, specific neuronal signals coordinate the systemic mitochondrial unfolded protein response (UPRmt) to promote organismal survival. Yet, whether chemical neurotransmitters are sufficient to control the UPRmt in physiological conditions is not well understood. Here, we show that gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) inhibits, and acetylcholine (ACh) promotes the UPRmt in the Caenorhabditis elegans intestine. GABA controls the UPRmt by regulating extra-synaptic ACh release through metabotropic GABAB receptors GBB-1/2. We find that elevated ACh levels in animals that are GABA-deficient or lack ACh-degradative enzymes induce the UPRmt through ACR-11, an intestinal nicotinic α7 receptor. This neuro-intestinal circuit is critical for non-autonomously regulating organismal survival of oxidative stress. These findings establish chemical neurotransmission as a crucial regulatory layer for nervous system control of systemic protein homeostasis and stress responses.

Abstract Understanding the mechanisms controlling forest carbon accumulation is crucial for predicting and mitigating future climate change. Yet, it remains unclear whether the dominance of ectomycorrhizal (EcM) trees influences the carbon accumulation of entire forests. In this study, we analyzed forest inventory data from over 4000 forest plots across Northeast China. We find that EcM tree dominance consistently exerts a positive effect on tree, soil, and forest carbon stocks. Moreover, we observe that these positive effects are more pronounced during unfavorable climate conditions, at lower tree species richness, and during early successional stages. This underscores the potential of increasing the dominance of native EcM tree species not only to enhance carbon stocks but also to bolster resilience against climate change in high-latitude forests. Here we show that forest managers can make informed decisions to optimize carbon accumulation by considering various factors such as mycorrhizal types, climate, successional stages, and species richness.

The stability of cemented tailing filling body plays a core role in backfill mining as bearing body. In recent years, mineral processing wastewater is reused for filling mining to reduce a series of problems such as environmental pollution in some mines. It is extremely important to find out the impact of mineral processing wastewater which use it to filling on the strength of cemented tailing filling body in the mines. Therefore, cemented tailing filling body specimens (curing ages=7 d, 14 d, 21 d, 28 d) have been prepared with mineral processing wastewater (pH=7, 8, 9) and ordinary tap water (pH=7). The uniaxial compressive strength, microstructure, and the process of failure of acoustic emission (AE) count rate, ib value and energy of cemented tailing filling body were analyzed by using AE, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) test. The results show that: ① At the same age of maintenance, the strength of cemented tailing filling body which mixed mineral processing wastewater is lower than that mixed ordinary tap water, the strength decreases with the increase of pH value， and the grey correlation between \begin{document}$ {\rm{CO}}_3^{2 - }$\end{document} and the uniaxial compressive strength index of the filling body is the best, while the correlation of Ca2+ is the worst, and the correlation for anions is better than for cations overall; ② Under the same curing age, the mass concentration and diffraction peak intensity of C—S—H gel in the filling body mixed with mineral processing wastewater are lower than those of the filling body mixed with ordinary tap water, while the mass concentration and diffraction peak intensity of ettringite are higher than those of the filling body mixed with ordinary tap water; With the increase of pH value of mineral processing wastewater, the mass concentration of C—S—H gel in the filling body decreases and the intensity of diffraction peak decreases, while the mass concentration of ettringite increases and the intensity of diffraction peak increases, which leads to the decrease of filling body strength; ③ AE count rate and ib value show the laws of “rise-drop-sudden increase-peak value” and “fluctant rise-sharp drop-gradual rise” during the failure process of the filling body; AE bi1, bi2, bi3, the cumulative counts rate per 10 s and energy value at the peak stress of the filling body which mixed mineral processing wastewater are less than those of mixed ordinary tap water, moreover, the above AE characteristic indexes gradually decrease with the increase of pH value of mineral processing wastewater.

Background: The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) released the latest estimates of the global burden of cancer. We present a comparison of cancer profiles between 2020 and 2022, leveraging data from the Global Cancer Statistics (GLOBOCAN). Methods: Cancer incidence and mortality data were sourced from two different years, 2020 and 2022, in the GLOBOCAN database. We tracked changes in age-standardized incidence and mortality rates, as well as estimated numbers of new cancer cases and deaths of the 15 most common cancer types globally and in China between 2020 and 2022. Additionally, we conducted comparisons to assess alterations in the cancer burden and variations in mortality-to-incidence ratio (MIR) across different regions and countries for both 2020 and 2022. Results: Lung cancer remained the most common cancer and the leading cause of cancer death worldwide. The new cases of thyroid cancer witnessed a sharp increase in 2022. Conversely, the numbers of new cancer cases and deaths from stomach and esophageal cancer decreased significantly in 2022. The geographic distribution of cancer incidence and mortality across six continents in 2022 largely mirrored that of 2020. Higher Human Development Index (HDI) levels in countries corresponded with elevated rates of cancer incidence and mortality, consistent with the previous year. Among 185 countries or territories, China's age-standardized incidence rate (ASIR) ranked 64th and its age-standardized mortality rate (ASMR) ranked 68th, aligning with global averages. Lung cancer continued to impose the greatest burden of incidence and mortality. Stomach, breast, and esophageal cancers showed declines in both case counts and ASIR. Noteworthy reductions in both ASMR and absolute mortality numbers were observed in liver, stomach, and esophageal cancers. The global MIR decreased from 0.516 in 2020 to 0.488 in 2022. MIR trends indicated an upward trajectory with decreasing HDI levels in both 2022 and 2020. While Canada, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, and the United Kingdom demonstrated increasing MIRs, China exhibited the most significant decrease, followed by Russia and the United States. Conclusions: The global landscape of cancer incidence and mortality in 2022 reflects ongoing trends observed in 2020. Cancer burdens vary notably across countries with differing socioeconomic statuses. Decreases in stomach, liver, and esophageal cancer cases and deaths signify progress in cancer control efforts. The decrease in the global MIRs highlights potential improvements in cancer management.

Abstract Background Aging significantly elevates the risk of developing neurodegenerative diseases. Neuroinflammation is a universal hallmark of neurodegeneration as well as normal brain aging. Which branches of age-related neuroinflammation, and how they precondition the brain toward pathological progression, remain ill-understood. The presence of elevated type I interferon (IFN-I) has been documented in the aged brain, but its role in promoting degenerative processes, such as the loss of neurons in vulnerable regions, has not been studied in depth. Methods To comprehend the scope of IFN-I activity in the aging brain, we surveyed IFN-I-responsive reporter mice at multiple ages. We also examined 5- and 24-month-old mice harboring selective ablation of Ifnar1 in microglia to observe the effects of manipulating this pathway during the aging process using bulk RNA sequencing and histological parameters. Results We detected age-dependent IFN-I signal escalation in multiple brain cell types from various regions, especially in microglia. Selective ablation of Ifnar1 from microglia in aged mice significantly reduced overall brain IFN-I signature, dampened microglial reactivity, lessened neuronal loss, restored expression of key neuronal genes and pathways, and diminished the accumulation of lipofuscin, a core hallmark of cellular aging in the brain. Conclusions Overall, our study demonstrates pervasive IFN-I activity during normal mouse brain aging and reveals a pathogenic, pro-degenerative role played by microglial IFN-I signaling in perpetuating neuroinflammation, neuronal dysfunction, and molecular aggregation. These findings extend the understanding of a principal axis of age-related inflammation in the brain, one likely shared with multiple neurological disorders, and provide a rationale to modulate aberrant immune activation to mitigate neurodegenerative process at all stages.

Abstract. Background:. Given the recent updates in cancer burden estimates by GLOBOCAN 2022, this study was undertaken to provide pertinent perspectives within the context of the Human Development Index (HDI) and major world economies. Methods:. Datasets sourced from GLOBOCAN encompassed cancer cases and deaths across all cancer types in 2022, alongside projections up to 2050. Cancer incidences and deaths of the top 10 cancers within China and four distinct HDI-classified regions were compared using descriptive analyses. Age-standardized incidence rates (ASIRs) and mortality rates (ASMRs) worldwide for the most prevalent cancers in 2022 across ten largest economies and four-tier HDIs were examined. The top five cancer types concerning both incidence and mortality in China were delineated by sex and age group. Results:. In males, prostate cancer predominated in countries with low, high (except China), and very high HDI. Prostate and liver cancers were prominent causes of death in countries with low HDI. In females, breast and cervical cancers predominated in countries with low-to-medium HDI. Lung and colorectal cancer incidence and deaths increased with high HDI for both sexes. ASIRs and ASMRs for breast, prostate, lung, and colorectal cancers in the top 10 economies were higher than the global average. However, liver, stomach, and cervical cancers in most Western countries exhibited lower rates. In China, hematologic malignancies (43%) were prevalent among children aged 0–14 years, whereas thyroid cancer led among adolescents and young adults aged 15–39 years. Regarding incidence and mortality, lung cancer predominated for individuals over 40 years, except for females aged 40–59 years, in whom breast cancer predominated. Projected trends indicated substantial increases in new cancer cases (76.6%) and deaths (89.7%) over the next three decades. Conclusions:. Infection- and poverty-related cancer burdens are offset by increased prostate, breast, colorectal, and lung cancer incidence associated with rapid societal and economic transitions. Cancer incidence and mortality patterns in China feature characteristics of developed and developing countries, necessitating tailored, evidence-based, and comprehensive strategies for effective cancer prevention and control.

Objectives To evaluate the minimal clinically important difference (MCID) value for acupuncture treatment in chronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU), providing guidance for its application in CSU management.Design Secondary analysis of data from a multicentre randomised controlled trial.Setting Three tertiary hospitals across three cities in China.Participants 103 CSU patients (78.7% female) with an average age of 39.97 years.Interventions Participants received acupuncture treatment for 4 weeks in the original study.Outcome measures MCID and minimal detectable change (MDC) for the Urticaria Activity Score over 7 days (UAS7) in acupuncture treatment of CSU. Convergent validity assessed by intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). Responsiveness evaluated through Spearman correlation between UAS7 improvements and anchor tools (physician’s and patient’s assessments). MDC calculated using SE of measurement of changes in UAS7 scores. MCID estimated using distribution-based and anchor-based methods.Results The ICC for UAS7 was 0.86. Improvements in UAS7 scores were significantly correlated with patient (r=0.44, p

The occurrence rate of frailty is high among patients with chronic diseases. However, the assessment of frailty among these patients is still far from being a routine part of clinical practice. The aim of this study is to develop a validated predictive model for assessing frailty risk in patients with chronic illnesses. This study recruited 543 patients with chronic diseases, and 237 were included in the development and validation of the predictive model. A total of 57 frailty related indicators were analyzed, encompassing sociodemographic variables, health status, physical measurements, nutritional assessment, physical activity levels, and blood biomarkers. There were 100 cases (42.2%) presenting frailty symptoms. Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that gender, age, chronic diseases, Mini Nutritional Assessment score, and Clinical Frailty Scale score were predictive factors for frailty in chronic disease patients. Utilizing these factors, a nomogram model demonstrated good consistency and accuracy. The AUC values for the predictive model and validation set were 0.946 and 0.945, respectively. Calibration curves, ROC, and DCA indicated the nomogram had favorable predictive performance. Altogether, the comprehensive nomogram developed here is a promising and convenient tool for assessing frailty risk in patients with chronic diseases, aiding clinical practitioners in screening high-risk populations.

Sprouted wheat wholemeal was reported to enhance the nutritional and sensory properties of cereal products, but few human studies exist. The effect of blending 50 % sprouted wheat wholemeal in a bread recipe on the postprandial glycemic and satiety responses, and sensory-related sensations was investigated in this randomized crossover human study with 12 healthy participants. Capillary blood samples were collected and glycemic response was determined at 0, 15, 30, 45, 60, 90, 120 min. Satiety visual analogue scales were given every 30 min. While substituting bread wheat flour with sprouted wheat wholemeal significantly increased the α-amylase activity in the dough (p 0.05). Likewise, participant overall acceptability was not adversely affected. Sprouted wheat wholemeal can be used as a functional ingredient in breadmaking, although it did not, in this study, significantly affect digestibility parameters.

Air blast fireball of the composite explosive is an important way to destroy the target and effectively determines the damage effect. Herein, based on the effect of aluminum powder content on the explosion reaction kinetics of HMX-based aluminized explosives, the cylindrical charges with positive gradient structure (PGS) and negative gradient structure (NGS) were designed and prepared to control the structure and size of air blast fireball. The PGS cylinders exhibited lateral shuttle-shaped flame/fireball and the width of the fireball was 3.901 m, which was increased by about 14% compared with homogeneous cylinders. The NGS cylinders led to the vertical shuttle-shaped flame/fireball that the height of the air blast fireball reached 4.049 m, and had longer durations of the fireball. The numerical fitting results show that the lateral shuttle-shaped flame/fireball and vertical shuttle-shaped flame/fireball gradually changed into spherical-like flame/fireball with an increase from 0 to 30 wt% of outer and inner layer HMX content, respectively. The vertical shuttle flame/fireball gradually changed into a spherical-like flame/fireball with the increase of HMX content. This is a feasible way to regulate the shape and size of the air blast fireball through gradient adjusting the distribution of HMX and Al, which could provide an effective strategy to improve the damage effect.

ObjectiveTo explore the diagnostic value of glycated CD59 (gCD59) in gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM).MethodsA total of 707 pregnant women who underwent the first visit in the obstetric outpatient clinic of the Affliated Suqian Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University from January 2022 to July 2023 were included, and were grouped according to the International Association of the Diabetes and Pregnancy Study Groups(IADPSG) diagnostic criteria, and finally 113 cases in the GDM group and 559 cases in the normal glucose tolerance (NGT) group were included, and the concentration of gCD59 was determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The baseline data characteristics of the two groups were compared, the risk factors for GDM were explored by multivariate binary logistic analysis, and the diagnostic value of gCD59 in predicting GDM was explored by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis.ResultsThe level of gCD59 in the GDM group was significantly higher than that in the NGT group (1.49 SPU vs 0.87 SPU). Multivariate regression analysis showed that gCD59, diastolic blood pressure (DBP) and thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) were independent risk factors for GDM.The area under the curve (AUC) of gCD59 for the diagnosis of GDM was 0.681 (95% CI: 0.583-0.717), with a sensitivity of 71.7% and a specificity of 58.3%. In combination with fasting glucose, gCD59 effectively diagnosed GDM with higher AUC of 0.871 (95% CI: 0.708-1.000).ConclusiongCD59 is an independent risk factor for GDM and a good biomarker for the diagnosis of GDM.

This paper attempts to reveal the freezing temperature and its influencing factors of heavy metal-contaminated loess by adopting two cooling methods: fast and slow grading. As a result, Lanzhou loess was used as an experimental material to make polluted soil with varying heavy metal concentrations and initial water content. The pollutant elements included Zn, Ni, Cu, Cr, Cd, and Pb. The findings demonstrate that: 1) The slow cooling rate causes supercooling, jumping, and a progressive decrease in the temperature of the polluted soil. Different cooling methods have no obvious effect on freezing temperature. Furthermore, the freezing temperature of contaminated soil varies depending on its water content. The impact of increasing water content on freezing temperature is not evident; 2) The freezing temperature of loess decreases with the increase of heavy metal ion content. The freezing temperature of loess polluted by Zn, Ni and Cd ions decreased linearly with the increase of ion content. The influence of cations on the freezing temperature of loess is as follows: Zn2+> Ni2+> Cd2+> Cr3+> Pb2+> Cu2+. The influence order of anions is Cl− > SO42−; 3) The freezing temperature of loess containing heavy metal ions is about equal to the freezing temperature of the corresponding heavy metal solution plus the freezing temperature of loess itself. The freezing temperature of heavy metal-polluted loess follows the temperature superposition principle.

Abstract Intercropping with Pleurotus ostreatus has been demonstrated to increase the tea yield and alleviate soil acidification in tea gardens. However, the underlying mechanisms remain elusive. Here, high-throughput sequencing and Biolog Eco analysis were performed to identify changes in the community structure and abundance of soil microorganisms in the P. ostreatus intercropped tea garden at different seasons (April and September). The results showed that the soil microbial diversity of rhizosphere decreased in April, while rhizosphere and non-rhizosphere soil microbial diversity increased in September in the P. ostreatus intercropped tea garden. The diversity of tea tree root microorganisms increased in both periods. In addition, the number of fungi associated with organic matter decomposition and nutrient cycling, such as Penicillium, Trichoderma, and Trechispora, was significantly higher in the intercropped group than in the control group. Intercropping with P. ostreatus increased the levels of total nitrogen (TN), total phosphorus (TP), and available phosphorus (AP) in the soil. It also improved the content of secondary metabolites, such as tea catechins, and polysaccharides in tea buds. Microbial network analysis showed that Unclassified_o__Helotiales, and Devosia were positively correlated with soil TN and pH, while Lactobacillus, Acidothermus, and Monascus were positively correlated with flavone, AE, and catechins in tea trees. In conclusion, intercropping with P. ostreatus can improve the physical and chemical properties of soil and the composition and structure of microbial communities in tea gardens, which has significant potential for application in monoculture tea gardens with acidic soils.

Abstract Background Bacterial drug resistance represents a significant global concern, with vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecalis posing a particularly grave threat to contemporary healthcare systems. This study aims to reveal the reasons for the prevalence of VRE in China. Methods This study collected data from the China Antimicrobial Resistance Detection System, China Statistical Yearbook, and China Meteorological Network. The collected data are meticulously organized and subjected to both single-factor and multi-factor analyses. An accurate multiple linear regression model was developed by utilizing this comprehensive dataset. Results Single-factor analysis revealed significant regional variations in the resistance rate of vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecalis (P = 0.003). Specifically, there were noteworthy disparities observed between regions experiencing temperate and monsoon climates (P = 0.029; P = 0.005). Furthermore, multi-factor regression analysis demonstrated a negative correlation between the drug resistance rate and both rainfall and rGDP, while a positive correlation was observed with nPI. Conclusion We successfully established a prediction model for the VRE and found that the resistance rate was low in areas with high rainfall and high per capita economic income, but high in areas with many specialized public health institutions. This is critical for public health strategies and helps policymakers and healthcare practitioners tailor antibiotic resistance approaches to local geography, meteorology, economic conditions.

Abstract Brain-like energy-efficient computing has remained elusive for neuromorphic (NM) circuits and hardware platform implementations despite decades of research. In this work we reveal the opportunity to significantly improve the energy efficiency of digital neuromorphic hardware by introducing NM circuits employing two-dimensional (2D) transition metal dichalcogenide (TMD) layered channel material-based tunnel-field-effect transistors (TFETs). Our novel leaky-integrate-fire (LIF) based digital NM circuit along with its Hebbian learning circuitry operates at a wide range of supply voltages, frequencies, and activity factors, enabling two orders of magnitude higher energy-efficient computing that is difficult to achieve with conventional material and/or device platforms, specifically the silicon-based 7 nm low-standby-power FinFET technology. Our innovative 2D-TFET based NM circuit paves the way toward brain-like energy-efficient computing that can unleash major transformations in future AI and data analytics platforms.

The purpose of the study is to investigate the sulfate resistance of portland-dolomite cement (PDC) with varying dolomite contents, when exposed to sodium sulfate solution at 5 ℃ and 20 ℃. Visual appearance, expansion, mass change, and compressive strength of PDC mortars were tested, and XRD, FTIR, and SEM analyses were conducted to examine deterioration products and microstructure. Results indicate that at 20 ℃, the incorporation of 10 % dolomite in PDC had a negligible impact on sulfate resistance, whereas higher dolomite replacements of 20 % and 30 % notably diminished it. In contrast, exposure at 5 °C led to more severe deterioration in all PDC samples, regardless of dolomite content, and the higher dolomite content, the poorer resistance to sulfate attack. The increased formation of ettringite and gypsum resulted in reduced sulfate resistance of PDC at 20 ℃. However, at 5 ℃, the presence of dolomite significantly promoted the formation of thaumasite at later stages, which caused initial ettringite and subsequent late-stage thaumasite sulfate attack, ultimately leading to the failure of PDC. The findings suggest that PDC should be carefully considered when used in sulfate-rich environments, particularly at low temperatures.

In recent years, under the influence of global warming, the freezing depth of seasonally frozen ground (SFG) has decreased at an accelerating rate. This has affected engineering and construction insofar as accurate determinations are needed of SFG areas and the amount of frost heaving. In this study, a method of deriving the E-factor using the improved Stefan formula was used to study changes in the standard freezing depth (SFD) of SFG in China. The method was used to reveal the trends and patterns of changes in the SFD of SFG over the past fifty years. The study relied on ERA5L and reanalysis data and empirical formulas for standard sites in China’s SFG regions. Raster data of the interdecadal SFD in SFG areas of China from 1971 to 2020 were generated to analyze changes in the SFD. Our results show that in the past fifty years, the SFD in China’s SFG areas has shown a downward trend, with the SFD changing at an average rate of −6.749 cm/10a years. The average SFD in the 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, 2000s, and 2010s was 111.31, 107.13, 95.69, 89.84, and 86.21 cm, respectively. From the overall performance of the SFD in different decadal periods, the SFD in central and northeast China changed sharply within the range of 35° N to 50° N in SFG regions. The boundary lines of low-value SFDs expanded sharply to the north as the latitude increased, and the boundary lines of high-value SFDs contracted sharply.

AbstractBackground Chronic urticaria (CU) is a prevalent dermatologic disease that negatively affects life, current therapies remain suboptimal. Hence, there is an urgent need to identify effective and safe treatment.Objective Assess the efficacy and safety of compound glycyrrhizin (CG) combined with second-generation nonsedated antihistamine for the treatment of CU.Methods Nine databases were queried to screen RCTs related. Two reviewers independently assessed the risk of bias using Cochrane Collaboration. Primary objective was the total efficiency rate, while secondary was rate of recurrence, adverse events, and cure. Statistical analyses using Review Manager 5.4 and Stata17.Results Twenty-four RCTs were identified. Significant differences were noted in rate of total efficiency (n = 2649, RR = 1.36, 95%CI:1.30–1.43, p

ABSTRACT The insect hormones ecdysone (20E) and juvenile hormone III (JH) have been demonstrated to stimulate the secretion of conidia mucilage and pigments in Hirsutella satumaensis. However, the underlying mechanisms remain elusive. Here, comparative transcriptome and proteome analyses were performed to identify the fungal genes and proteins of H. satumaensis that are up- or downregulated in response to insect hormones. A total of 17,407 unigenes and 1,016 proteins in conidia mucilage were identified. The genes involved in response to the hormones were classified into four functional groups: (1) stress response-related genes that are required for the removal of reactive oxygen species (glutathione synthetase, c7144) and genes involved in the response to osmotic stress in the hemocoel, such as those encoding proteins involved in the G, mTOR, and MAPK signaling pathways (2); insect hormone metabolic genes, including genes encoding ecdysteroid UDP-glucosyltransferase, ecdysteroid-22-kinase, and a key aldehyde dehydrogenase in a juvenile hormone synthesis pathway (3); secretory proteins that share homology with those of the host Bombyx mori, including fibrohexamerin, sericin 1, metalloprotease 1 protein, and silk gum protein, which were revealed by the omics data; and (4) proteins related to amino sugar metabolism and oxidative phosphorylation that were specifically expressed in mucilage in response to 20E and JH, respectively. These findings revealed that H. satumaensis can mount effective responses by modulating the expression of genes involved in the detoxification, adaptation, and evasion of insect hormone-mediated immune responses, providing fresh insights into fungal pathogen-host insect interactions.IMPORTANCEInsect hormones are highly important for the regulation of insect growth, development, and immune system function. Thus, the expansion of entomopathogenic fungi (EPF) could be affected by these hormones when they inhabit the host hemocoel. However, the molecular basis of EPF in response to insect hormones has yet to be determined. Our results revealed that EPF are impacted by 20E and JH, both of which act as signals, as these hormones lead to changes in metabolic pathways of the fungus, thus demonstrating a direct relationship between the fungus and the hormones. Furthermore, adaptive strategies, such as the use of ecdysone-inactivating enzymes and secreted filamentous proteins in H. satumaensis, which strongly resemble those of the host insect, have been discovered, thus illustrating the importance of adaptation to insect hormones for a better understanding of the interaction between insects and EPF.

BackgroundThe evidence supporting a connection between elevated serum uric acid (SUA) levels and diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) is controversial. The present study performed a comprehensive evaluation of this correlation by conducting a systematic review and meta-analysis of relevant research.MethodPubMed, Web of Science (WOS), Embase, and the Cochrane Library were searched for published literature from the establishment of each database to January 8, 2024. In total, 5 cohort studies and 15 cross-sectional studies were included, and 2 researchers independently screened and extracted relevant data. R 4.3.0 was used to evaluate the included literature. The present meta-analysis evaluated the relationship between SUA levels and the risk of DPN in type 2 diabetes (T2DM) by calculating the ratio of means (RoM) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) using the method reported by JO Friedrich, and it also analyzed continuous outcome measures using standardized mean differences (SMDs) and 95% CIs to compare SUA levels between DPN and non-DPN groups. Funnel plot and Egger’s test were used to assess publication bias. Sensitivity analysis was conducted by sequentially removing each study one-by-one.ResultsThe meta-analysis included 20 studies, with 12,952 T2DM patients with DPN and 16,246 T2DM patients without DPN. There was a significant correlation between SUA levels and the risk of developing DPN [odds ratio (OR) = 1.23; 95% CI: 1.07-1.41; p = 0.001]. Additionally, individuals with DPN had higher levels of SUA compared to those without DPN (SMD = 0.4; 95% CI: -0.11-0.91; p < 0.01).ConclusionT2DM patients with DPN have significantly elevated SUA levels, which correlate with a heightened risk of peripheral neuropathy. Hyperuricemia (HUA) may be a risk indicator for assessing the risk of developing DPN in T2DM patients.Systematic review registrationhttps://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO, identifier CRD42024500373.

Finding reliable photocatalysts capable of driving reactions using only sunlight is more needed than ever. A variety of strategies to harvest sunlight and convert it into chemical energy have been successfully utilized such as synthesizing nanostructures, using metal nanoparticles, doping, and others. In this work, we discover a facile way to anchor CuS nanoplatelets on 2D MoS2 by the solvothermal method using ethylene glycol (EG) as both a reduction agent and an exfoliating agent of bulk MoS2. Using CuS as a co-catalysis on MoS2 with their huge surface areas, led to improved photocatalytic activity for three different applications including H2 evolution, CO2 reduction, and endosulfan degradation. Specifically, Cu–S@MoS2 3% nanocomposite produced 9.86 μmol g−1 h−1 of H2, 0.48 μmol g−1 h−1 of CO and full decomposition of endosulfan within 6 h. The Cu-loaded MoS2 nanocomposites were thoroughly characterized by spectroscopic (including synchrotron-based spectroscopy) and microscopic methods to understand the formation of Cu–S during the solvothermal process. Moreover, the role of the EG during the synthetic procedure was revealed experimentally and studied theoretically via DFT simulations.

Strong light absorption capacity and effective separation of photogenerated charge are the keys to photocatalytic water decomposition, which is usually solved by constructing heterojunction methods. In this work, a novel n-n interwoven Ni2P/CdIn2S4 S-type heterojunction photocatalyst was prepared by hydrothermal method for efficient photocatalytic hydrogen evolution. After a series of characterization and performance tests, under simulated sunlight irradiation at 6 °C (λ > 420 nm), the hydrogen production of Ni2P/CdIn2S4 composite with the best performance can reach 6 mmol/g/h, which is not only 48 times that of pure CdIn2S4, but also 17.2 times that of the expensive metal Pt (CIS–1Pt). By changing the temperature, the hydrogen production of Ni2P/CdIn2S4 reached 8.7 mmol/g/h at 27.5 °C, while its AQY reached 7.7 % and 6.6 % at 420 nm and 475 nm, respectively. In addition, the possible photocatalytic mechanism was analyzed by band structure and XPS diagram, and it was confirmed that the internal electric field of the S-type heterojunction accelerated the photogenerated charge transition and enhanced the hydrogen evolution ability. This effectively compensated for the limitations of severe carrier recombination and low active sites in CdIn2S4 photocatalysts. Therefore, this work provides some help for the construction of non-precious metal S-type heterojunctions for photocatalytic hydrogen production.

BackgroundUnbalanced inflammatory response is a critical feature of sepsis, a life-threatening condition with significant global health burdens. Immune dysfunction, particularly that involving different immune cells in peripheral blood, plays a crucial pathophysiological role and shows early warning signs in sepsis. The objective is to explore the relationship between sepsis and immune subpopulations in peripheral blood, and to identify patients with a higher risk of 28-day mortality based on immunological subtypes with machine-learning (ML) model.MethodsPatients were enrolled according to the sepsis-3 criteria in this retrospective observational study, along with age- and sex-matched healthy controls (HCs). Data on clinical characteristics, laboratory tests, and lymphocyte immunophenotyping were collected. XGBoost and k-means clustering as ML approaches, were employed to analyze the immune profiles and stratify septic patients based on their immunological subtypes. Cox regression survival analysis was used to identify potential biomarkers and to assess their association with 28-day mortality. The accuracy of biomarkers for mortality was determined by the area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve (AUC) analysis.ResultsThe study enrolled 100 septic patients and 89 HCs, revealing distinct lymphocyte profiles between the two groups. The XGBoost model discriminated sepsis from HCs with an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 1.0 and 0.99 in the training and testing set, respectively. Within the model, the top three highest important contributions were the percentage of CD38+CD8+T cells, PD-1+NK cells, HLA-DR+CD8+T cells. Two clusters of peripheral immunophenotyping of septic patients by k-means clustering were conducted. Cluster 1 featured higher proportions of PD1+ NK cells, while cluster 2 featured higher proportions of naïve CD4+T cells. Furthermore, the level of PD-1+NK cells was significantly higher in the non-survivors than the survivors (15.1% vs 8.6%, P

Abstract Nowadays, silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) have attracted the attention of many researchers due to their special physical, chemical, and biological properties. There is strong evidence that biogenic AgNPs can act as potent anticancer agents through the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and initiate the mitochondrial pathway of apoptosis. That is why we decided to use Nepeta bracteata Benth flower extract for the first time to bio-synthesize AgNPs and study their cytotoxic and apoptotic effects on SK-BR-3 cells. AgNPs were biosynthesized at 70 °C after mixing silver nitrate and flower extract with a specific ratio and concentration, then were characterized using various analytical techniques, such as FESEM, FTIR, EDS, and zeta potential. Studies have shown that AgNPs have an irregular and circular shape, with about 99% by weight of silver, carbon, and oxygen. On the other hand, the appropriate size (below 57 nm) and surface charge (− 11.52 mV) make them stable in biological fluids. The better cytotoxic effect of AgNPs compared to flower extract on SK-BR-3 cells was investigated using the MTT method. The positive effect of AgNPs on inhibiting the growth of SK-BR-3 breast cancer cells was again confirmed by the sulforhodamine B staining method, so that AgNPs were able to decrease the density of cancer cells in a concentration-dependent manner. In addition, the flow cytometry test proved that biosynthesized AgNPs using Nepeta bracteata Benth flower extract can induce apoptosis in SK-BR-3 cancer cells. Real-time PCR then proved that the ratio of Bak1/Bclx, as well as caspase-3 expression, was increased due to active ROS-producing biomolecules present in the plant extract, and therefore, AgNPs can activate the mitochondria-dependent apoptosis pathway in breast cancer cells. Finally, their negligible oxidative stress on erythrocytes was confirmed by the lipid peroxidation method and showed that biosynthesized AgNPs can be used for breast cancer treatment without showing adverse effects on erythrocytes.

Abstract Ameloblastoma is a benign tumor characterized by locally invasive phenotypes, leading to facial bone destruction and a high recurrence rate. However, the mechanisms governing tumor initiation and recurrence are poorly understood. Here, we uncovered cellular landscapes and mechanisms that underlie tumor recurrence in ameloblastoma at single-cell resolution. Our results revealed that ameloblastoma exhibits five tumor subpopulations varying with respect to immune response (IR), bone remodeling (BR), tooth development (TD), epithelial development (ED), and cell cycle (CC) signatures. Of note, we found that CC ameloblastoma cells were endowed with stemness and contributed to tumor recurrence, which was dominated by the EZH2-mediated program. Targeting EZH2 effectively eliminated CC ameloblastoma cells and inhibited tumor growth in ameloblastoma patient-derived organoids. These data described the tumor subpopulation and clarified the identity, function, and regulatory mechanism of CC ameloblastoma cells, providing a potential therapeutic target for ameloblastoma.

Abstract Background Though (1S, 3R)-RSL3 has been used widely in basic research as a small molecular inducer of ferroptosis, the toxicity on normal cells and poor pharmacokinetic properties of RSL3 limited its clinical application. Here, we investigated the synergism of non-thermal plasma (NTP) and low-concentration RSL3 and attempted to rise the sensitivity of NSCLC cells on RSL3. Methods CCK-8 assay was employed to detect the change of cell viability. Microscopy and flowcytometry were applied to identify lipid peroxidation, cell death and reactive oxygen species (ROS) level respectively. The molecular mechanism was inspected with western blot and RT-qPCR. A xenograft mice model was adopted to investigate the effect of NTP and RSL3. Results We found the synergism of NTP and low-concentration RSL3 triggered severe mitochondria damage, more cell death and rapid ferroptosis occurrence in vitro and in vivo. NTP and RSL3 synergistically induced xCT lysosomal degradation through ROS/AMPK/mTOR signaling. Furthermore, we revealed mitochondrial ROS was the main executor for ferroptosis induced by the combined treatment. Conclusion Our research shows NTP treatment promoted the toxic effect of RSL3 by inducing more ferroptosis rapidly and provided possibility of RSL3 clinical application. Graphical Abstract Video Abstract

Highlights An all-covalent organic framework (COF) nanofilm-structured lithium-ion capacitor (LIC) was developed by custom-made COF nanofilms as the anode/cathode. The COF nanofilm-structured LIC exhibits good electrochemical properties via the fast Li+ transport kinetics of the anodic COFBTMB-TP nanofilm and the high specific capacity of the cathodic COFTAPB-BPY nanofilm. This work can realize the charge storage kinetics and capacity balance of anode/cathode in COFTAPB-BPY//COFBTMB-TP LIC.

Metal (aluminum and boron) based energetic materials have been wildly applied in various fields including aerospace, explosives and micro-devices due to their high energy density. Unfortunately, the low combustion efficiency and reactivity of metal fuels, especially boron (B), severely limit their practical applications. Herein, multi-component 3D microspheres of HMX/B/Al/PTFE (HBA) have been designed and successfully prepared by emulsion and solvent evaporation method to achieve superior energy and combustion reactivity. The reactivity and energy output of HBA are systematically measured by ignition-burning test, constant-volume explosion vessel system and bomb calorimetry. Due to the increased interfacial contact and reaction area, HBA shows higher flame propagation rate, faster pressurization rate and larger combustion heat of 29.95 cm/s, 1077 kPa/s, and 6164.43 J/g, which is 1.5 times, 3.5 times, and 1.03 times of the physical mixed counterpart (HBA-P). Meanwhile, HBA also shows enhanced energy output and reactivity than 3D microspheres of HMX/B/PTFE (HB) resulting from the high reactivity of Al. The reaction mechanism of 3D microspheres is comprehensively investigated through combustion emission spectral and thermal analysis (TG-DSC-MS). The superior reactivity and energy of HBA originate from the surface etching of fluorine to the inert shell (Al2O3 and B2O3) and the initiation effect of Al to B. This work offers a promising approach to design and prepare high-performance energetic materials for the practical applications.

In the field of object detection in large-scale remote sensing images, achieving a good tradeoff between model accuracy and speed has been a long-standing challenge. The majority of inference time is spent on background regions without objects, making real-time detection difficult in practical applications. Common approaches involve partitioning large-scale remote sensing images into smaller patches, followed by using additional classification networks or detectors on the final layer of the backbone's feature map to identify and filter out patches devoid of objects, ultimately enhancing detection efficiency. This article proposes a novel model, called OPD-Swin-Transformer, for ship detection in large-scale remote sensing images. This model integrates a simple and lightweight object presence detector (OPD) at each stage of the Swin-transformer and uses a step-by-step, progressively challenging strategy to filter out background image patches, achieving an overall improvement in detection speed. The model optimizes the entire network end-to-end using a multitask loss function, leading to simultaneous improvements in detection accuracy. By employing an optimal threshold generation strategy based on the weighted Youden index, the model effectively maintains a higher recall rate for ships while filtering out background images, achieving an optimal balance between speed and accuracy. Our OPD-Swin-Transformer is integrated into two mainstream detectors and evaluated on two popular benchmarks for ship detection. The experiments demonstrate that, when compared to other state-of-the-art methods, this approach increases inference speed by more than 40% while also improving detection accuracy.

Abstract The gas therapy is drawing increasing attention in the treatment of many diseases including cancer. As one of gas signaling molecules, carbon monoxide (CO) has been proved to exert anti-cancer effects via triggering multiple cell death types, such as autophagy, apoptosis and necrosis. Here, we showed that low concentration CO delivered from CO-releasing molecule 3 (CORM-3) effectively induced ferroptosis, known as a novel proinflammatory programmed cell death, in vitro and in vivo. Mechanistically, we found that CO triggered ferroptosis by modulating the ROS/GSK3β/GPX4 signaling pathway, resulting in the accumulation of lipid hydroperoxides and the occurrence of ferroptosis. We think our findings provide novel insights into the anti-cancer mechanisms of CO, and suggest that CO could potentially be exploited as a novel ferroptosis inducer for cancer treatment in the future.

Abstract Background Tumor immunotherapy can not only eliminate the primary lesion, but also produce long-term immune memory, effectively inhibiting tumor metastasis and recurrence. However, immunotherapy also showed plenty of limitations in clinical practice. In recent years, the combination of nanomaterials and immunotherapy has brought new light for completely eliminating tumors with its fabulous anti-tumor effects and negligible side effects. Methods The Core Collection of Web of Science (WOSCC) was used to retrieve and obtain relevant literatures on antitumor nano-immunotherapy since the establishment of the WOSCC. Bibliometrix, VOSviewer, CiteSpace, GraphPad Prism, and Excel were adopted to perform statistical analysis and visualization. The annual output, active institutions, core journals, main authors, keywords, major countries, key documents, and impact factor of the included journals were evaluated. Results A total of 443 related studies were enrolled from 2004 to 2022, and the annual growth rate of articles reached an astonishing 16.85%. The leading countries in terms of number of publications were China and the United States. Journal of Controlled Release, Biomaterials, Acta Biomaterialia, Theranostics, Advanced Materials, and ACS Nano were core journals publishing high-quality literature on the latest advances in the field. Articles focused on dendritic cells and drug delivery accounted for a large percentage in this field. Key words such as regulatory T cells, tumor microenvironment, immune checkpoint blockade, drug delivery, photodynamic therapy, photothermal therapy, tumor-associated macrophages were among the hottest themes with high maturity. Dendritic cells, vaccine, and T cells tend to become the popular and emerging research topics in the future. Conclusions The combined treatment of nanomaterials and antitumor immunotherapy, namely antitumor nano-immunotherapy has been paid increasing attention. Antitumor nano-immunotherapy is undergoing a transition from simple to complex, from phenotype to mechanism. Graphical abstract

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.

The adoption of multiprocessor platforms is growing commonplace in Internet of Things (IoT) applications to handle large volumes of sensor data while maintaining real-time performance at a reasonable cost and with low power consumption. Partitioned scheduling is a competitive approach to ensure the temporal constraints of real-time sensor data processing tasks on multiprocessor platforms. However, the problem of partitioning real-time sensor data processing tasks to individual processors is strongly NP-hard, making it crucial to develop efficient partitioning heuristics to achieve high real-time performance. This paper presents an enhanced harmonic partitioned multiprocessor scheduling method for periodic real-time sensor data processing tasks to improve system utilization over the state of the art. Specifically, we introduce a general harmonic index to effectively quantify the harmonicity of a periodic real-time task set. This index is derived by analyzing the variance between the worst-case slack time and the best-case slack time for the lowest-priority task in the task set. Leveraging this harmonic index, we propose two efficient partitioned scheduling methods to optimize the system utilization via strategically allocating the workload among processors by leveraging the task harmonic relationship. Experiments with randomly synthesized task sets demonstrate that our methods significantly surpass existing approaches in terms of schedulability.

Objective A high number of Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC) patients with brain metastasis who have not had surgery often have a negative outlook. Radiotherapy remains a most common and effective method. Nomograms were developed to forecast the cancer-specific survival (CSS) and overall survival (OS) in NSCLC individuals with nonoperative brain metastases who underwent radiotherapy. Methods Information was gathered from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database about patients diagnosed with NSCLC who had brain metastases not suitable for surgery. Nomograms were created and tested using multivariate Cox regression models to forecast CSS and OS at intervals of 1, 2, and 3 years. Results The research involved 3413 individuals diagnosed with NSCLC brain metastases who had undergone radiotherapy but had not experienced surgery. These participants were randomly divided into two categories. The analysis revealed that gender, age, ethnicity, marital status, tumor location, tumor laterality, tumor grade, histology, T stage, N stage, chemotherapy, tumor size, lung metastasis, bone metastasis, and liver metastasis were significant independent predictors for OS and CSS. The C-index for the training set for predicting OS was .709 (95% CI, .697-.721), and for the validation set, it was .705 (95% CI, .686-.723), respectively. The C-index for predicting CSS was .710 (95% CI, .697-.722) in the training set and .703 (95% CI, .684-.722) in the validation set, respectively. The nomograms model, as suggested by the impressive C-index, exhibits outstanding differentiation ability. Moreover, the ROC and calibration curves reveal its commendable precision and distinguishing potential. Conclusions For the first time, highly accurate and reliable nomograms were developed to predict OS and CSS in NSCLC patients with non-surgical brain metastases, who have undergone radiotherapy treatment. The nomograms may assist in tailoring counseling strategies and choosing the most effective treatment method.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, forecasting COVID-19 trends to support planning and response was a priority for scientists and decision makers alike. In the United States, COVID-19 forecasting was coordinated by a large group of universities, companies, and government entities led by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the US COVID-19 Forecast Hub (https://covid19forecasthub.org). We evaluated approximately 9.7 million forecasts of weekly state-level COVID-19 cases for predictions 1-4 weeks into the future submitted by 24 teams from August 2020 to December 2021. We assessed coverage of central prediction intervals and weighted interval scores (WIS), adjusting for missing forecasts relative to a baseline forecast, and used a Gaussian generalized estimating equation (GEE) model to evaluate differences in skill across epidemic phases that were defined by the effective reproduction number. Overall, we found high variation in skill across individual models, with ensemble-based forecasts outperforming other approaches. Forecast skill relative to the baseline was generally higher for larger jurisdictions (e.g., states compared to counties). Over time, forecasts generally performed worst in periods of rapid changes in reported cases (either in increasing or decreasing epidemic phases) with 95% prediction interval coverage dropping below 50% during the growth phases of the winter 2020, Delta, and Omicron waves. Ideally, case forecasts could serve as a leading indicator of changes in transmission dynamics. However, while most COVID-19 case forecasts outperformed a naïve baseline model, even the most accurate case forecasts were unreliable in key phases. Further research could improve forecasts of leading indicators, like COVID-19 cases, by leveraging additional real-time data, addressing performance across phases, improving the characterization of forecast confidence, and ensuring that forecasts were coherent across spatial scales. In the meantime, it is critical for forecast users to appreciate current limitations and use a broad set of indicators to inform pandemic-related decision making.

Abstract Spontaneous electric polarization is recently observed in multilayered van der Waals stacked materials, arising from a symmetry breaking in a unit cell with two or more constituent species, or non‐centrosymmetric intra‐layer atom displacement in single‐atom‐species materials. Here, it is shown that even elemental crystals, consisting of one type of atom and composed of non‐polar and centrosymmetric layers, exhibit electric polarization if arranged in an appropriate three‐dimensional architecture. This concept is demonstrated here for mixed‐stacking tetra‐layer polytypes of non‐polar graphene sheets. Surprisingly, it is find that the room temperature out‐of‐plane electric polarization increases with external electrostatic hole doping, rather than decreases with it owing to screening. Using first‐principles calculations, as well as a self‐consistent tight‐binding model, the emergence of polarization is explain in terms of inter‐layer charge rearrangement and the doping dependence in terms of gating‐induced inter‐layer charge transfer. This newly discovered intrinsic polarization may therefore offer new venues for designing the electronic response of graphene‐based polytypes to external fields.