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Abstract Ligusticum sinense cv. Chuanxiong (L. Chuanxiong), one of the widely used traditional Chinese medicines (TCM), is currently facing the problem of excessive cadmium (Cd) content. This problem has significantly affected the quality and safety of L. Chuanxiong and become a vital factor restricting its clinical application and international trade development. Currently, to solve the problem of excessive Cd, it is essential to research the response mechanisms of L. Chuanxiong to Cd stress. However, there are few reports on its physiological and biochemical responses under Cd stress. In this study, we conducted the hydroponic experiment under 25 μM Cd stress, based on the Cd content of the genuine producing areas soil. The results showed that 25 μM Cd stress not only had no significant inhibitory effect on the growth of L. Chuanxiong seedlings but also significantly increased the chlorophyll a content (11.79%) and root activity (51.82%) compared with that of the control, which might be a hormesis effect. Further results showed that the absorption and assimilation of NH4 + increased in seedlings under 25 μM Cd stress, which was associated with high photosynthetic pigments. Here, we initially hypothesized and confirmed that Cd exceedance in the root system of L. Chuanxiong was due to the thickening of the root cell wall, changes in the content of the cell wall components, and chelation of Cd by GSH. There was an increase in cell wall thickness (57.64 %) and a significant increase in cellulose (25.48%) content of roots under 25 μM Cd stress. In addition, L. Chuanxiong reduced oxidative stress caused by 25 μM Cd stress mainly through the GSH/GSSG cycle. Among them, GSH-Px (48.26%) and GR (42.64%) activities were significantly increased, thereby maintaining a high GSH/GSSG ratio. This study preliminarily reveals the response of L. Chuanxiong to Cd stress and the mechanism of Cd enrichment. It provides a theoretical basis for solving the problem of Cd excessive in L. Chuanxiong. Graphical Abstract Physiological and biochemical mechanisms of L. Chuanxiong seedlings under Cd stress.

Abstract Ground settlement prediction for highway subgrades is crucial in related engineering projects. When predicting the ground settlement, sparse sample data are often encountered in practice, which greatly affects the prediction accuracy. However, this has been seldom explored in previous studies. To resolve it, this paper proposes a regression Kriging (RK)—based method for ground settlement prediction with sparse data. Under the framework of RK, the stationarity of sample residual and trend structure are key factors for prediction accuracy. It is found that the use of Box–Cox transformation, which can help to achieve stationarity of sample residual, leads to significant increase of the prediction accuracy with sparse data. Specifically, the various evaluation metrics (i.e., root mean square error (RMSE), mean absolute error (MAE), mean arctangent absolute percent error (MAAPE) and scatter index (SCI)) are significantly decreased when the Box–Cox transformation is incorporated. In addition, the first-order polynomial trend structure is found to be more appropriate than those with higher orders for predicting settlements resulting from primary consolidation. Moreover, comparative study is conducted among the proposed RK method, classical prediction methods and back propagation neural network (BPNN). It is found that the evaluation metrics obtained by the RK method are significantly smaller than those obtained by the other methods, indicating its highest accuracy. By contrast, BPNN has the worst performance among the various methods, because the sparse data are inadequate to establish a satisfactory BPNN model.

Abstract Hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia (HHT) is an autosomal dominant disorder characterized by epistaxis, gastrointestinal bleeding, iron deficiency anemia, and arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) affecting the lungs, liver, and brain. Owing to its rarity and diagnostic challenges, early identification is often elusive. Underdiagnosis and prolonged diagnostic delays are prevalent. Here, we present the case of a 63-year-old male who presented with chest pain and was diagnosed with an ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). Subsequently, he underwent placement of a drug-eluting stent in the right coronary artery (RCA). However, recurrent postoperative epistaxis resulted in severe anemia, prompting further investigation leading to the diagnosis of hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia through comprehensive medical history and genetic testing. Future studies are warranted to evaluate reperfusion strategies in HHT patients presenting with myocardial infarction.

Introduction: The diagnosis of Fabry disease (FD) with genetic variants of unknown significance (VUSs) is relatively difficult. We explored patients with novel VUS variants and concomitant immunoglobulin A nephropathy (IgAN) to improve the understanding of VUS. Methods: The study retrospectively investigated patients with genetically confirmed FD. Probands with VUS were selected from the database of FD patients who underwent genetic analysis. Demographic, clinicopathological, and laboratory data from probands and family members were collected and analyzed. Results: Fourteen probands and their family members were included in the study. The probands were divided into group 1 (patients with VUS, n = 5) and group 2 (patients with pathologic/likely pathologic variants, n = 9). The group 1 included 2 missense mutations and 1 deletion mutation, while the group 2 included 6 missense mutations and 2 deletion mutations. There were no significant differences in gender, age, serum creatinine, eGFR, and proteinuria between the two groups. IgA deposition with myeloid bodies was found in all VUS patients. The cardiac involvement in group 2 was more severe than that in group 1. Seven families performed the pedigree analysis, and after the comprehensive evaluation, two GLA variants (c.479C>A, p.Ala160Asp; c.1032-1058 del, p.Ser345_Met353del) were upgraded from VUS to the likely pathogenic. Conclusion: The clinical manifestations of FD are heterogeneous. FD often coexists with nephrotic disorders, such as IgAN and MCD. Comprehensive evaluation, especially tissue-specific biopsy, is necessary for patients with GLA-VUSs. Two GLA variants (c.479C>A, p.Ala160Asp; c.1032-1058 del, p.Ser345_Met353del) were upgraded from VUS to the likely pathogenic after the comprehensive evaluation.

Abstract Ammonia‐oxidizing archaea (AOA) play crucial roles in marine carbon and nitrogen cycles by fixing inorganic carbon and performing the initial step of nitrification. Evaluation of carbon and nitrogen metabolism popularly relies on functional genes such as amoA and accA. Increasing studies suggest that quorum sensing (QS) mainly studied in biofilms for bacteria may serve as a universal communication and regulatory mechanism among prokaryotes; however, this has yet to be demonstrated in marine planktonic archaea. To bridge this knowledge gap, we employed a combination of metabolic activity markers (amoA, accA, and grs) to elucidate the regulation of AOA‐mediated nitrogen, carbon processes, and their interactions with the surrounding heterotrophic population. Through co‐transcription investigations linking metabolic markers to potential key QS genes, we discovered that QS molecules could regulate AOA's carbon, nitrogen, and lipid metabolisms under different conditions. Interestingly, specific AOA ecotypes showed a preference for employing distinct QS systems and a distinct QS circuit involving a typical population. Overall, our data demonstrate that QS orchestrates nitrogen and carbon metabolism, including the exchange of organic metabolites between AOA and surrounding heterotrophic bacteria, which has been previously overlooked in marine AOA research.

In the black soil region of Northeast China, the issue of gully erosion persists as a significant threat, resulting in extensive damage to farmland, severe degradation of the black soil, and decreased productivity. It is therefore of utmost importance to accurately identify areas that are susceptible to gully erosion to effectively prevent and control its negative impact. This study tried to utilize geographical detectors (geodetectors) as a means to identify the factors that contribute to the distribution of gullies and assess the risk of gully erosion (GER) in five catchments within the region, with areas ranging from approximately 80 km2–200 km2. By employing the geodetectors method, fourteen geo-environmental factors were analyzed, including topographic attributes (such as aspect, catchment area, convergence index, elevation, plan curvature, profile curvature, slope length, slope, stream power index, and topographic wetness index), channel network distance, vegetation index (NDVI and EVI), as well as land use/land cover (LULC). The modeling of GER was conducted using the random forest algorithm (RFA). Out of the fourteen examined geo-environmental factors, only a subset, comprising less than or equal to 50%, demonstrated a significant (p

Abstract Background Hemoptysis resulting from rupture of the pulmonary artery pseudoaneurysm (PAP) is massive and fatal, while factor contributing to the rupture of pseudoaneurysm remains elusive. This study aimed to elucidate the clinical and radiological features of PAP and identify the risk factors associated with rupture. Methods Patients who developed hemoptysis with PAP were collected from January 2019 to December 2022 retrospectively. Clinical data of the demographic characteristics, radiological findings, treatment strategies, and prognosis were collected. A comparative analysis was performed on the characteristics in the ruptured and non-ruptured cases. Results A total of 58 PAPs were identified in the 50 patients. The most common causes were infection (86%) and cancer (8%). The PAPs were located predominantly in the upper lobes of both lungs, and 57 (99.3%) were distributed in the segmental or subsegmental pulmonary arteries. The median diameter was 6.1(4.3–8.7) mm. A total of 29 PAPs were identified adjacent to pulmonary cavitations, with the median diameter of the cavity being 18.9 (12.4–34.8) mm. Rupture of pseudoaneurysm occurred in 21 cases (42%). Compared to unruptured group, the ruptured group had a significantly higher proportion of massive hemoptysis (57.1% vs. 6.9%, p

Abstract In recent years, lightwave has stood out as an ultrafast, non-contact control knob for developing compact superconducting circuitry. However, the modulation efficiency is limited by the low photoresponse of superconductors. Plasmons, with the advantages of strong light-matter interaction, present a promising route to overcome the limitations. Here we achieve effective modulation of superconductivity in thin-film NbSe2 via near-field coupling to plasmons in gold nanoparticles. Upon resonant plasmon excitation, the superconductivity of NbSe2 is substantially suppressed. The modulation factor exceeds 40% at a photon flux of 9.36 × 1013 s−1mm−2, and the effect is significantly diminished for thicker NbSe2 samples. Our observations can be theoretically interpreted by invoking the non-equilibrium electron distribution in NbSe2 driven by the plasmon-associated evanescent field. Finally, a reversible plasmon-driven superconducting switch is realized in this system. These findings highlight plasmonic tailoring of quantum states as an innovative strategy for superconducting electronics.

Abstract Advancements in CRISPR technology, particularly the development of base editors, revolutionize genetic variant research. When combined with model organisms like zebrafish, base editors significantly accelerate and refine in vivo analysis of genetic variations. However, base editors are restricted by protospacer adjacent motif (PAM) sequences and specific editing windows, hindering their applicability to a broad spectrum of genetic variants. Additionally, base editors can introduce unintended mutations and often exhibit reduced efficiency in living organisms compared to cultured cell lines. Here, we engineer a suite of adenine base editors (ABEs) called ABE-Ultramax (Umax), demonstrating high editing efficiency and low rates of insertions and deletions (indels) in zebrafish. The ABE-Umax suite of editors includes ABEs with shifted, narrowed, or broadened editing windows, reduced bystander mutation frequency, and highly flexible PAM sequence requirements. These advancements have the potential to address previous challenges in disease modeling and advance gene therapy applications.

Abstract With an increasing prevalence of thyroid nodules globally, this study investigates the potential correlation between the use of Bluetooth headsets and the incidence of thyroid nodules, considering the cumulative effects of non-ionizing radiation (NIR) emitted by these devices. In this study, we analyzed 600 valid questionnaires from the WenJuanXing platform using Propensity Score Matching (PSM) and the XGBOOST model, supplemented by SHAP analysis, to assess the risk of thyroid nodules. PSM was utilized to balance baseline characteristic differences, thereby reducing bias. The XGBOOST model was then employed to predict risk factors, with model efficacy measured by the area under the Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve (AUC). SHAP analysis helped quantify and explain the impact of each feature on the prediction outcomes, identifying key risk factors. Initially, 600 valid questionnaires from the WenJuanXing platform underwent PSM processing, resulting in a matched dataset of 96 cases for modeling analysis. The AUC value of the XGBOOST model reached 0.95, demonstrating high accuracy in differentiating thyroid nodule risks. SHAP analysis revealed age and daily Bluetooth headset usage duration as the two most significant factors affecting thyroid nodule risk. Specifically, longer daily usage durations of Bluetooth headsets were strongly linked to an increased risk of developing thyroid nodules, as indicated by the SHAP analysis outcomes. Our study highlighted a significant impact relationship between prolonged Bluetooth headset use and increased thyroid nodule risk, emphasizing the importance of considering health impacts in the use of modern technology, especially for devices like Bluetooth headsets that are frequently used daily. Through precise model predictions and variable importance analysis, our research provides a scientific basis for the formulation of public health policies and personal health habit choices, suggesting that attention should be paid to the duration of Bluetooth headset use in daily life to reduce the potential risk of thyroid nodules. Future research should further investigate the biological mechanisms of this relationship and consider additional potential influencing factors to offer more comprehensive health guidance and preventive measures.

Abstract The data scale keeps growing by leaps and the majority of it is high‐dimensional imbalanced data, which is hard to classify. Data missing often happens in software which further aggravates the difficulty of classifying the data. In order to resolve high‐dimensional imbalanced mixed‐variables missing data classification problem, a novel method based on particle swarm optimization is developed. It has three original components including multiple feature selection, mixed attribute imputation, and quantum oversampling. Multiple feature selection uses a two‐stage strategy to obtain stable relevant features. Mixed attribute imputation separates features into continuous and discrete features and fills missing values with different models. Quantum oversampling chooses instances to balance data based on the quantum operator. Furthermore, particle swarm optimization is employed to optimize the parameters of the components to obtain preferable classification results. Six representative classification datasets, six typical algorithms, and four measures are taken to conduct exhaust experiments, and results indicate that the proposed method is superior to the comparison algorithms.

Background The aim of this study was to develop and validate a prediction model for predicting the risk of preoperative asymptomatic lower extremity venous thrombosis (LEVT) in patients with knee osteoarthritis (KOA). Methods Patients with KOA diagnosed at our hospital between March 2022 and July 2023 were included in this study. Five factors were identified as independent risk factors for the development of preoperative asymptomatic LEVT in patients with KOA by univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis and a prediction model was constructed by analyzing the results. The performance of the model was evaluated using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. The accuracy of the model and its predictive ability were evaluated using calibration curves. The clinical application value of the prediction model was evaluated using decision curve analysis (DCA). Results A total of 354 patients diagnosed with KOA were included in the study. Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed HDL 0.55 mg/L ( P = 0.049 ) were the independent risk factors for the occurrence of preoperative asymptomatic LEVT in patients with KOA. The combined-variable ROC curve suggested greater predictability and accuracy (AUC = 0.843, specificity = 90.3%, sensitivity = 71.4%). The calibration curve showed good model agreement and DCA suggested good clinical value of the model. Conclusion Low HDL, high LDL, Na + , Ca 2+ , and D-dimer levels can be used as independent risk factors for the preoperative prediction of asymptomatic LEVT in patients with KOA, and the present study also provides a simple prediction model for clinicians and patients.

Abstract The unprecedented habitat fragmentation or loss has threatened the existence of many species. Therefore, it is essential to understand whether and how these species can pace with the environmental changes. Recent advantages in landscape genomics enabled us to identify molecular signatures of adaptation and predict how populations will respond to changing environments, providing new insights into the conservation of species. Here, we investigated the pattern of neutral and putative adaptive genetic variation and its response to changing environments in a tertiary relict tree species, Taxus cuspidata Sieb. et Zucc, which is distributed in northeast China and adjacent regions. We investigated the pattern of genetic diversity and differentiation using restriction site‐associated DNA sequencing (RAD‐seq) and seven nuclear microsatellites (nSSRs) datasets. We further explored the endangered mechanism, predicted its vulnerability in the future, and provided guidelines for the conservation and management of this species. RAD‐seq identified 16,087 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in natural populations. Both the SNPs and nSSRs datasets showed high levels of genetic diversity and low genetic differentiation in T. cuspidata. Outlier detection by FST outlier analysis and genotype‐environment associations (GEAs) revealed 598 outlier SNPs as putative adaptive SNPs. Linear redundancy analysis (RDA) and nonlinear gradient forest (GF) showed that the contribution of climate to genetic variation was greater than that of geography, and precipitation played an important role in putative adaptive genetic variation. Furthermore, the genetic offset and risk of non‐adaptedness (RONA) suggested that the species at the northeast edge may be more vulnerable in the future. These results suggest that although the species has maintained high current genetic diversity in the face of recent habitat loss and fragmentation, future climate change is likely to threaten the survival of the species. Temperature (Bio03) and precipitation (Prec05) variables can be potentially used as predictors of response of T. cuspidata under future climate. Together, this study provides a theoretical framework for conservation and management strategies for wildlife species in the context of future climate change.

As a typical structural weak surface, bedding is ubiquitous in coal seams. The relative mechanical properties between coal seam bedding and coal matrix are the key to determining the effect of enhancing permeability by microwave in coal seams with bedding development. To this end, a self-developed microwave irradiation (MI) test device was used to carry out microwave fracturing coal experiments on coal samples with an angle of 0°, 30°, 45°, 60° and 90° between the bedding plane and the loading direction. The evolution characteristics of microscopic pore structure and microscopic cracks of coal samples with different bedding directions were explored, and the influence of bedding structure on the number, scale, and connectivity of coal pores and fractures under MI was revealed. The gas permeability characteristics of coal in different bedding directions before and after MI were compared and analyzed. The variation law of coal permeability under the influence of coal seam bedding and fracturing coal by microwave was clarified, and the influence mechanism of coal seam bedding on fracturing coal and enhancing permeability by microwave was revealed. The results show that the coal seam bedding has a significant effect on the effect of fracturing coal and enhancing permeability by microwave. The larger the angle between the bedding plane and the loading direction, the greater the reduction of the bound pores and the growth of the connected fractures of the coal under MI. Compared with the original coal samples, the order of magnitude difference between the permeability of coal samples in different bedding directions after MI is effectively reduced, and the permeability anisotropy is obviously weakened. The development of meso-cracks in coal under MI has a significant bedding effect. The specific evolution process is first to expand the original cracks along the bedding plane, followed by the initiation of new cracks along the bedding plane, and finally to expand the cracks intersecting with the bedding plane. The difference of dielectric loss and heat transfer properties between coal matrix and bedding plane makes the thermal stress distribution of coal subject to the bedding plane. When the bedding plane is perpendicular or parallel to the loading direction, the coal body is dominated by tensile failure. When the bedding plane is oblique to the loading direction, the coal body is dominated by shear slip failure.

Abstract The consumption of a high-fat diet (HFD) has been linked to osteoporosis and an increased risk of fragility fractures. However, the specific mechanisms of HFD-induced osteoporosis are not fully understood. Our study shows that exposure to an HFD induces premature senescence in bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs), diminishing their proliferation and osteogenic capability, and thereby contributes to osteoporosis. Transcriptomic and chromatin accessibility analyses revealed the decreased chromatin accessibility of vitamin D receptor (VDR)-binding sequences and decreased VDR signaling in BMSCs from HFD-fed mice, suggesting that VDR is a key regulator of BMSC senescence. Notably, the administration of a VDR activator to HFD-fed mice rescued BMSC senescence and significantly improved osteogenesis, bone mass, and other bone parameters. Mechanistically, VDR activation reduced BMSC senescence by decreasing intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels and preserving mitochondrial function. Our findings not only elucidate the mechanisms by which an HFD induces BMSC senescence and associated osteoporosis but also offer new insights into treating HFD-induced osteoporosis by targeting the VDR-superoxide dismutase 2 (SOD2)-ROS axis.

Abstract Human Wharton’s jelly stem cells (hWJSCs) are multipotent stem cells that are extensively employed in biotechnology applications. However, the impact of simulated lunar microgravity (sμG) on the growth, differentiation, and viability of this cell population is incompletely characterized. We aimed to determine whether acute (72 h) exposure to sμG elicited changes in growth and lineage differentiation in hWJSCs and if putative changes were maintained once exposure to terrestrial gravity (1.0 G) was restored. hWJSCs were cultured under standard 1.0 G conditions prior to being passaged and cultured under sμG (0.16 G) using a random positioning machine. Relative to control, hWJSCs cultured under sμG exhibited marked reductions in growth but not viability. Cell population expression of characteristic stemness markers (CD 73, 90, 105) was significantly reduced under sμG conditions. hWJSCs had 308 significantly upregulated and 328 significantly downregulated genes when compared to 1.0 G culture conditions. Key markers of cell replication, including MKI67, were inhibited. Significant upregulation of osteocyte–chondrocyte lineage markers, including SERPINI1, MSX2, TFPI2, BMP6, COMP, TMEM119, LUM, HGF, CHI3L1 and SPP1, and downregulation of cell fate regulators, including DNMT1 and EZH2, were detected in sμG-exposed hWJSCs. When returned to 1.0 G for 3 days, sμG-exposed hWJSCs had accelerated growth, and expression of stemness markers increased, approaching normal (i.e. 95%) levels. Our data support earlier findings that acute sμG significantly reduces the cell division potential of hWJSCs and suggest that acute sμG-exposure induces reversible changes in cell growth accompanied by osteocyte–chondrocyte changes in lineage differentiation.

The roof gas drainage roadway, with its advantages of large flow and continuous extraction, is widely used in the gas control of high gas or outburst mine working faces. How to determine the reasonable arrangement position of the roof roadway to efficiently extract the pressure-relief gas in the goaf is key to ensuring the effect of gas control on the working face. Therefore, through a deep analysis of the arrangement principles of the roof gas drainage roadway and the main controlling factors of its arrangement position, an intelligent prediction method for the arrangement position of the roof gas drainage roadway based on the GA–BP neural network model is proposed. The prediction indicators of the GA–BP neural network model were determined using the grey correlation analysis method, and an intelligent prediction system for the arrangement position of the roof gas drainage roadway was designed and developed. The research results show: ① The mining thickness, burial depth, overlying rock structure, coal seam dip angle, and dip length of the working face are the main controlling factors for the arrangement position of the roof gas drainage roadway, and their weight values are ranked as: mining thickness > burial depth > overlying rock structure > coal seam dip angle > dip length; ② With the increase of genetic generations, the fitness of the GA–BP neural network continuously decreases, and when the genetic generation is 60, its fitness change is basically stable, indicating that the initial weight and bias of the GA–BP neural network are good; ③ Under the premise of the current training sample data set, the relative error of the prediction result of the arrangement position of the roof gas drainage roadway based on the GA–BP neural network model and the actual working condition value is only 0.43%～11.27%, which is within an acceptable range. This research can provide a certain reference for the precise design of the arrangement of the roof gas drainage roadway.

Abstract Etomidate is a sedative and hypnotic drug through intravenous administration that act on the central nervous system through GABA (Gamma-Amino Butyric Acid) receptors, which is widely used in anesthesia induction and maintenance and long-term sedation in severe patients. The study aimed to evaluate the pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic properties of two etomidate fat emulsions after administration through the intravenous infusion pump in healthy Chinese subjects. A randomized, open-label, 2-period crossover study was performed in 52 healthy subjects. The wash-out period was 7 days. Blood samples and pharmacodynamic index values were collected at the specified time points. Etomidate concentrations were measured using validated liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Pharmacokinetic parameters were analyzed using a non-compartment model method. Pharmacodynamic parameters were calculated using pharmacodynamic index values. The study also evaluated the safety of the etomidate. Both the pharmacokinetic parameters and pharmacodynamic parameters result of the test and reference formulation were very similar. The 90% confidence intervals (CI) of the geometric least-squares mean (GLSM) ratios of the test to reference formulation were 91.33–104.96% for the maximum plasma concentration (Cmax), 97.21–102.03% for the area under the plasma concentration time curve from time 0 to the time of the last measurable concentration (AUC0–t), and 97.22–102.33% for the area under the plasma concentration time curve from time 0 to infinity (AUC0–∞). Meanwhile, the 90% CI of the GLSM ratios of the test to reference formulation were 102.28–110.69% for the minimal BIS value (BISmin), 99.23–101.17% for the area under the BIS time curve from time 0–60 min after administration (BISAUC0–60 min), respectively. The 90% CI of these pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic parameters all fall in the accepted bioequivalence range of 80.00–125.00%. No serious adverse events occurred during the study. This study has shown that the etomidate fat emulsion test and reference formulation had similar pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic characteristics in vivo. The two formulations exhibited good safety and well-tolerance. Clinical trials registration number: http://www.chinadrugtrials.org.cn/index.html . # CTR20191836.

Background and objectiveEnlarged perivascular spaces in basal ganglia (BG-EPVS) are considered an imaging marker of cerebral small vessel disease (CSVD), but its pathogenesis and pathophysiological process remain unclear. While decreased cerebral perfusion is linked to other CSVD markers, the relationship between BG-EPVS and cerebral perfusion remains ambiguous. This study aimed to explore this association.MethodsElderly individuals with severe BG-EPVS (n = 77) and age/sex-matched controls (n = 89) underwent head CT perfusion imaging. The cerebral perfusion parameters including mean transit time (MTT), time to maximum (TMAX), cerebral blood flow (CBF), and cerebral blood volume (CBV) were quantitatively measured by symmetric regions of interest plotted in the basal ganglia region. Point-biserial correlation and logistics regression analysis were performed to investigate the association between BG-EPVS and cerebral perfusion.ResultsThere were no significant differences in MTT, TMAX, or CBF between BG-EPVS group and control group. CBV was significantly lower in the BG-EPVS group (p = 0.035). Point-biserial correlation analysis showed a negative correlation between BG-EPVS and CBV (r = −0.198, p = 0.011). BG-EPVS group and control group as the dependent variable, binary logistics regression analysis showed that CBV was not an independent risk factor for severe BG-EPVS (p = 0.448). All enrolled patients were divided into four groups according to the interquartile interval of CBV. The ordered logistic regression analysis showed severe BG-EPVS was an independent risk factor for decreased CBV after adjusting for confounding factors (OR = 2.142, 95%CI: 1.211–3.788, p = 0.009).ConclusionSevere BG-EPVS is an independent risk factor for decreased CBV in the elderly, however, the formation of BG-EPVS is not solely dependent on changes in CBV in this region. This finding provides information about the pathophysiological consequence caused by severe BG-EPVS.

BackgroundPancreatic cancer (PC) is a prevalent malignancy within the digestive system, with diabetes recognized as one of its well-established risk factors.MethodsData on PC mortality attributed to high fasting blood sugar were retrieved from the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) study 2019 online database. To assess the temporal trends of PC burden attributable to high fasting plasma glucose (HFPG), estimated annual percentage changes (EAPCs) for age-standardized death rates (ASDRs) between 1990 and 2019 were determined using a generalized linear model. Furthermore, a Bayesian age-period-cohort (BAPC) model using the integrated nested Laplacian approximation algorithm was employed to project the disease burden over the next 20 years.ResultsGlobally, the crude death number of PC attributable to HFPG almost tripled (from 13,065.7 in 1990 to 48,358.5 in 2019) from 1990 to 2019, and the ASDR increased from 0.36/100,000 to 0.61/100,000 with an EAPC of 2.04 (95% CI 1.91–2.16). The population aged ≥70 years accounted for nearly 60% of total deaths in 2019 and experienced a more significant increase, with the death number increasing approximately fourfold and the ASDR increasing annually by 2.65%. In regions with different sociodemographic indexes (SDIs), the highest disease burden was observed in the high-SDI region, whereas more pronounced increasing trends in ASDR were observed in the low to middle-SDI, low-SDI, and middle-SDI regions. Additionally, a significantly negative association was found between EAPCs and ASDRs of PC attributable to HFPG from 1990 to 2019. Moreover, the BAPC model predicts that ASDR and age-standardized disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) rate for PC attributed to HFPG was projected to increase obviously for men and women from 2019 to 2040.ConclusionsThe burden of PC attributed to HFPG has increased globally over the past three decades, with the elderly population and high-SDI regions carrying a relatively greater disease burden, but more adverse trends observed in low-SDI areas. Furthermore, the burden is projected to continue increasing over the next 20 years. Hence, more tailored prevention methodologies should be established to mitigate this increasing trend.

Background: Organochlorine pesticides, with their environmental persistence and bioaccumulation potential, have gained significant attention. This study explores the impact of organochlorine pesticides on mortality and chronic diseases, investigates their link to inflammatory states, and examines the role of anti-inflammatory diets in mitigating adverse reactions to these pesticides. Methods: This study, with 2,847 participants, used gas chromatography and mass spectrometry to measure organochlorine pesticide exposure in NHANES data. Conventional statistical methodologies, encompassing survival curves, Cox proportional hazards regression, regression analysis, and restricted quadratic spline analysis, were employed to investigate the association between pesticides and mortality, chronic ailments, and inflammation. Furthermore, machine learning techniques, comprising RF, AdaBoost, Extra-Trees, LightGBM, and BPNN, were leveraged to evaluate the impact of pesticides on chronic disease and mortality prognostication. Results: Organochlorine pesticides were significantly and positively correlated with increased mortality (p

Objective: It is evident that periodontitis is linked to various adverse pregnancy outcomes. This prospective study explored the potential link of maternal periodontal diseases to neonatal adverse outcomes. Materials and Methods: A total of 193 generally healthy females in their third trimester (34–36 weeks) of pregnancy were enrolled. All subjects received full-mouth periodontal assessment, and the periodontal inflamed surface area (PISA) was calculated. Demographic data, lifestyles and anthropometric measurements of the neonates (e.g., body length and head circumference) were recorded. Herein, small-for-gestational age (SGA) referred to gender- and age-adjusted birth weight below the 10th percentile in line with the standard reference. Multivariable logistic regression analysis and restricted cubic spline were performed for examining the association of periodontal parameters with SGA. Results: There were 8.3% (16/193) of neonates with SGA. Significantly positive correlation existed between the percentage of tooth sites with increased probing depth and an elevated risk of SGA (OR: 1.052; P < 0.05). Yet, the PISA was positively associated with the risk of SGA (OR: 1.002; P < 0.05) as well. No significant link occurred between maternal periodontal status and other neonatal outcome measures. Conclusion: Within the limitations of this study, the findings suggest that there could be a link between maternal periodontal diseases and neonatal adverse outcomes like SGA. Further investigation is required to clarify the current findings and potential implications for promoting maternal oral/periodontal health and newborn health.

Tick-borne rickettsial disease (TBRD) is a perilous acute infection that often eludes diagnosis in its early stages. The triad of knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAPs) among medical professionals is key to reducing missed diagnosis rates. Therefore, a meticulous evaluation of KAPs is imperative. This study aimed to delve into the understanding of TBRD and explore the beliefs and practices related to personal prevention methods among individuals in Lu’an, a hotspot for TBRD. During the summer months of 2023, convenience sampling was employed by circulating a confidential questionnaire to 1,206 participants in the endemic regions of China. This questionnaire painted a comprehensive picture of the participants’ sociodemographic profiles and their KAPs levels vis-à-vis TBRD. The findings revealed that participants scored a mere 55.78% in knowledge, while their attitudes and practices garnered impressive scores of 90.09% and 90.83%, respectively. Upon further analysis using multiple linear regression, several intriguing patterns emerged. Male participants, employed in the Infectious Disease Department, held vice-senior or higher titles, or had prior medical training demonstrated superior knowledge scores. On the other hand, medical personnel who were younger than 30, possessed graduate degrees or higher qualifications, and had training excelled in attitudes and practices. Notably, when employing the Boston Consulting Group (BCG) matrix, a significant distribution of medical personnel was observed across the four quadrants. Specifically, 37.43%, 13.19%, 19.61%, and 29.77% fell into the first, second, third, and fourth quadrants. This survey underscores the commendable attitudes and practices of medical staff towards TBRD in endemic regions of China. However, their knowledge level remains wanting and demands urgent improvement.

The biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) is critical for assessing water quality, linking the quantity of biodegradable organic carbon with pollution levels. Electrochemical biosensors have shown great improvements over traditional BOD measurement methods by offering the advantages of simplicity, rapid response, high sensitivity, and real-time monitoring. In this review, we discuss different types of BOD electrochemical biosensors, including oxygen electrode-, microbial fuel cell (MFC)-, and microbial electrolysis cell (MEC)-type sensors, focusing on recent advances in microbial community composition, electrode materials, and optimization approaches. Moreover, current challenges in developing effective electrochemical biosensors for BOD detection are presented to meet diverse sample needs.

Abstract Unravelling biosphere feedback mechanisms is crucial for predicting the impacts of global warming. Soil priming, an effect of fresh plant-derived carbon (C) on native soil organic carbon (SOC) decomposition, is a key feedback mechanism that could release large amounts of soil C into the atmosphere. However, the impacts of climate warming on soil priming remain elusive. Here, we show that experimental warming accelerates soil priming by 12.7% in a temperate grassland. Warming alters bacterial communities, with 38% of unique active phylotypes detected under warming. The functional genes essential for soil C decomposition are also stimulated, which could be linked to priming effects. We incorporate lab-derived information into an ecosystem model showing that model parameter uncertainty can be reduced by 32–37%. Model simulations from 2010 to 2016 indicate an increase in soil C decomposition under warming, with a 9.1% rise in priming-induced CO2 emissions. If our findings can be generalized to other ecosystems over an extended period of time, soil priming could play an important role in terrestrial C cycle feedbacks and climate change.

Currently, some empirical formula methods, such as the Steinmetz equation, have been widely used in calculating high-frequency magnetic core loss. Although these methods may provide satisfactory accuracy under some certain conditions, they not only cannot present clear physical interpretation and fail to account for the origin and variation of losses, but also offer much lower accuracy for wide operation ranges. In this article, a new analytical model is proposed for the first time to predict core loss by the new vector magnetic circuit theory. In addition to reluctance, two new components, i.e., magductance and hysteretance are proposed in the vector magnetic circuit, which are used to describe the eddy-current loss and the hysteresis loss, respectively. Thus, the clear physical significance is available with the proposed loss model. Given the geometrical and physical parameters of cores, the loss can be predicted. Furthermore, the uneven distribution of magnetic flux inside the magnetic core is characterized by parallel vector magnetic circuits. By comparing with the available empirical formulas, it has been proven that the proposed analytical model not only offers clear physical concepts, but also has much higher accuracy.

Abstract The experimental observation of quantum phase transitions predicted by the quantum Rabi model in quantum critical systems is usually challenging due to the lack of signature experimental observables associated with them. Here, we describe a method to identify the dynamical critical phenomenon in the quantum Rabi model consisting of a three-level atom and a cavity at the quantum phase transition. Such a critical phenomenon manifests itself as a sudden change of steady-state output photons in the system driven by two classical fields, when both the atom and the cavity are initially unexcited. The process occurs as the high-frequency pump field is converted into the low-frequency Stokes field and multiple cavity photons in the normal phase, while this conversion cannot occur in the superradiant phase. The sudden change of steady-state output photons is an experimentally accessible measure to probe quantum phase transitions, as it does not require preparing the equilibrium state.

Abstract Spintronic device is the fundamental platform for spin-related academic and practical studies. However, conventional techniques with energetic deposition or boorish transfer of ferromagnetic metal inevitably introduce uncontrollable damage and undesired contamination in various spin-transport-channel materials, leading to partially attenuated and widely distributed spintronic device performances. These issues will eventually confuse the conclusions of academic studies and limit the practical applications of spintronics. Here we propose a polymer-assistant strain-restricted transfer technique that allows perfectly transferring the pre-patterned ferromagnetic electrodes onto channel materials without any damage and change on the properties of magnetism, interface, and channel. This technique is found productive for pursuing superior-quality spintronic devices with high controllability and reproducibility. It can also apply to various-kind (organic, inorganic, organic-inorganic hybrid, or carbon-based) and diverse-morphology (smooth, rough, even discontinuous) channel materials. This technique can be very useful for reliable device construction and will facilitate the technological transition of spintronic study.

In recent years, research in social recommendation has shown that modeling implicit relations effectively alleviates data sparsity and cold-start problems. However, related research often overlooks the influence of user and item rating biases when constructing implicit relations. The divergence in user rating systems and item evaluation standards often results in ratings displaying starkly contrasting extremes, making it difficult to identify implicit relations among users (or items) to fulfill the requirements of personalized recommendations. To this end, we propose a fusion of personalized implicit relations for social recommendation (FIR-REC) based on graph neural networks. First, we regard the average ratings of users and items as benchmarks to eliminate the bias of user-item ratings. Based on this benchmark, user-user (item-item) pairs with the same preferences are regarded as implicit candidate pairs. Considering the heterogeneity of social relationships, we propose a preference hedging formula to calculate preference correlation coefficients for each implicit candidate pair and select the top-k ranked implicit friends for each node to construct a personalized implicit network. Specifically, this formula can utilize different scoring strategies to calculate the preference scores for consistency and inconsistency in implicit pairs. To enhance robustness, it introduces a balancing factor to mitigate the influence of less interacted implicit pairs. Next, we utilize a Graph Attention Network to aggregate neighbor node information in explicit and implicit social relations. Finally, we utilize a user-specific gating mechanism to integrate user representations from explicit and implicit social relations. This helps assess the importance of the two types of relations for different users, enabling precise and stable predictions. Extensive experiments on three open datasets demonstrate the superiority of our model compared with state-of-the-art social recommendation models.

Abstract Cobalamin (B12), an essential nutrient and growth cofactor for many living organisms on Earth, can be fully synthesized only by selected prokaryotes in nature. Therefore, microbial communities related to B12 biosynthesis could serve as an example subsystem to disentangle the underlying ecological mechanisms balancing the function and taxonomic make‐up of complex functional assemblages. By anchoring microbial traits potentially involved in B12 biosynthesis, we depict the biogeographic patterns of B12 biosynthesis genes and the taxa harboring them in the global ocean, despite the limitations of detecting de novo B12 synthesizers via metagenomes alone. Both the taxonomic and functional composition of B12 biosynthesis genes were strongly shaped by depth, differentiating the epipelagic zones from the mesopelagic layers. Functional genes related to B12 biosynthesis were relatively stably distributed across different oceans, but the taxa harboring them varied considerably, showing clear functional redundancy among microbial systems. Microbial taxa carrying B12 biosynthesis genes in the surface water were influenced by environmental factors such as temperature, oxygen, and nitrate. However, the composition of functional genes was only weakly associated with these environmental factors. Null model analyses demonstrated that determinism governed the variations in B12 biosynthesis genes, whereas a higher degree of stochasticity was associated with taxonomic variations. Significant associations were observed between the chlorophyll a concentration and B12 biosynthesis, confirming its importance in primary production in the global ocean. The results of this study reveal an essential ecological mechanism governing the assembly of microbes in nature: the environment selects for function rather than taxonomy; functional redundancy underlies stochastic community assembly.

The gully morphology parameter is an important quantitative index for monitoring gully erosion development. Its extraction method and accuracy evaluation in the “soil-rock dual structure area” are of great significance to the evaluation of gully erosion in this type of area. In this study, unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) tilt photography data were used to evaluate the accuracy of extracting gully morphology parameters from high-resolution remote sensing stereoscopic images. The images data (0.03 m) were taken as the reference in Zhangmazhuang and Jinzhongyu small river valleys in Yishui County, Shandong Province, China. The accuracy of gully morphology parameters were extracted from simultaneous high-resolution remote sensing stereo images data (0.5 m) was evaluated, and the parameter correction model was constructed. The results showed that (1) the average relative errors of circumference (P), area (A), linear length of bottom (L1), and curve length of bottom (L2) are mainly concentrated within 10%, and the average relative errors of top width (TW) are mainly within 20%. (2) The average relative error of three-dimensional (3D) parameters such as gully volume (V) and gully depth (D) is mainly less than 50%. (3) The larger the size of the gully, the smaller the 3D parameters extracted by visual interpreters, especially the absolute value of the mean relative error (Rmean) of V and D. (4) A relationship model was built between the V and D values obtained by the two methods. When V and D were extracted from high-resolution remote sensing stereo images, the relationship model was used to correct the measured parameter values. These findings showed that high-resolution remote sensing stereo images represents an efficient and convenient data source for monitoring gully erosion in a small watershed in a “soil-rock dual structure area”.

S-band high-gradient accelerating structures were proposed to accelerate protons from 30 to 230 MeV for a compact proton therapy linac in Institute of Modern Physics. A backward traveling wave structure and a single-periodic magnetically coupled standing wave structure were designed, and differences between these two structures were analyzed to select a more suitable one for the proton therapy linac. In this paper, a novel single-periodic magnetically coupled standing-wave accelerating structure was studied, with an optimized nose cone that related to a smaller peak surface electric field and higher shunt impedance, with the reduced number of coupling holes and mechanical von Mises stress thus making it possible for higher duty factor and longer rf pulse operation, also with larger coupling holes and improved cell-to-cell coupling thus making this structure suitable for operating in π mode. An 11-cell high-power prototype for β=0.26 particles was developed with an active length of 143 mm. This prototype cavity is supposed to operate at an accelerating gradient of 30 MV/m with 0.1% duty factor, corresponding to a maximum surface electric field of 105 MV/m and a peak rf power of 3.43 MW. Cavity design, optimization, manufacture, rf measurement, and high-power test will be discussed in this paper.

Introduction: For the Navier-Stokes equation, one of the most essential tasks should be to study its completeness of the complex nonlinear systems. Also, its nature and physical practical applications would be depth explored. Moreover, as one of the routes to chaos, this equation with an external force has been investigated numerically in 1989. Recently, some information is worth noting that when the high symmetry was imposed on the velocity field, the complex nonlinear motions should occur even lead to the chaos phenomenon. However, most of the published papers are based on theoretical studies and rarely deal with the above results, which lost of the match between them and the integrity of the scientific system.Methods: This study analyzed the molecular distillation process in detail based on the basic theory of nonlinear chaotic systems. Then, the mathematical model for the process of molecular distillation with one brushless DC motor (BLDCM) is built and named the Molecular-Distillation-Navier-Stokes (MDNS) equation. Also, its complex and potentially chaotic behaviors and chaotic processes are first discovered and demonstrated, such as chaotic attractors, chaotic co-attractors, phase portraits, time-domain waveforms, Lyapunov exponent spectrums, Poincare maps, the bifurcation diagrams, and so on.Results: The good agreement among theoretical analysis, simulation and experimental results verifies the practicability and flexibility of the configured model.Discussion: The related conclusions have supplemented and improved the theoretical system for the Navier Stokes equations. Also, it reflects the significance in molecular distillation processes. Meanwhile, the novel research direction for the fields of the chaotic nonlinear and complex industrial systems have been explored and discovered.

IntroductionNitrososphaeria, formerly known as Thaumarchaeota, constitute a diverse and widespread group of ammonia-oxidizing archaea (AOA) inhabiting ubiquitously in marine and terrestrial environments, playing a pivotal role in global nitrogen cycling. Despite their importance in Earth’s ecosystems, the cellular organization of AOA remains largely unexplored, leading to a significant unanswered question of how the machinery of these organisms underpins metabolic functions.MethodsIn this study, we combined spherical-chromatic-aberration-corrected cryo-electron tomography (cryo-ET), scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM), and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) to unveil the cellular organization and elemental composition of Nitrosopumilus maritimus SCM1, a representative member of marine Nitrososphaeria.Results and DiscussionOur tomograms show the native ultrastructural morphology of SCM1 and one to several dense storage granules in the cytoplasm. STEM-EDS analysis identifies two types of storage granules: one type is possibly composed of polyphosphate and the other polyhydroxyalkanoate. With precise measurements using cryo-ET, we observed low quantity and density of ribosomes in SCM1 cells, which are in alignment with the documented slow growth of AOA in laboratory cultures. Collectively, these findings provide visual evidence supporting the resilience of AOA in the vast oligotrophic marine environment.

PurposeA systematic evaluation and Meta-analysis were performed to determine the relationship between IL-17A levels in ocular aqueous and peripheral venous serum samples and diabetic retinopathy (DR).MethodsPubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and CNKI databases were searched from the time of library construction to 2023-09-20.The results were combined using a random-effects model, sensitivity analyses were performed to determine whether the arithmetic was stable and reliable, and subgroup analyses were used to look for possible sources of heterogeneity.ResultsA total of 7 case-control studies were included. The level of IL-17A was higher in the Nonproliferative DR(NPDR) group than in the Non-DR(NDR) group [SMD=2.07,95%CI(0.45,3.68),P=0.01], and the level of IL-17A in the proliferating DR(PDR) group was higher than that of the NDR group [SMD=4.66,95%CI(1.23,8.08),P

Abstract Objective Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and CT perfusion may provide diagnostic information for intravenous tissue-type plasminogen activator (IV t-PA) administration in acute ischemic stroke (AIS) patients. We aimed to compare the clinical features and perfusion deficits of diffusion weighted imaging (DWI)-negative and DWI-positive AIS patients. Methods This retrospective and observational study included thrombolysis-treated AIS patients undergoing multimodel CT imaging before treatment and DWI after treatment between 2021 and 2022. Two experienced neuroradiologists blindly and independently examined the images to identify perfusion deficits in AIS patients. The patients were divided into DWI-positive and DWI-negative groups based on visible hyperintense lesions on DWI. A modified Rankin scale (mRS) score of ≤ 2 indicated good functional outcomes at discharge. Sensitivity analysis was conducted to determine whether CT perfusion was an independent predictor of positive DWI imaging on follow-up. Results This study included 151 patients, of whom 35 (23.2%) patients were DWI-negative on follow-up. These DWI-negative patients were less likely to have a medical history of atrial fibrillation; they had lower triglyceride levels, a shorter admission time, lower National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) scores after IV t-PA and lower mRS scores at discharge, and had better functional outcomes. A total of 37.1% of DWI-positive and 25.7% of DWI-negative patients had vascular stenosis (P = 0.215). A total of 47.4% of DWI-positive and 37.1% of DWI-negative patients had CT perfusion deficits (P = 0.284). A total of 73.5% of patients with normal CT perfusion had positive DWI, while 19.1% of patients with perfusion deficits had negative DWI. The sensitivity and specificity of NCCT were 14.8% and 97.1% (Kappa = 0.061, P = 0.074), CTP was 47.4% and 62.9% for predicting DWI lesion (Kappa = 0.069, P = 0.284). Conclusions About 23.2% of AIS patients who received intravenous thrombolysis treatment did not have a relevant DWI-MRI lesion on follow-up. Over one-third of patients in the DWI-MRI negative group showed CT perfusion deficits, with a sensitivity of 47.4% for predicting DWI lesions in non-mechanical thrombectomy patients.

Abstract Background Genetic variants of outer dynein arm docking complex subunit 2 (ODAD2) have been reported to be closely associated with primary ciliary dyskinesia and colorectal cancer in previous studies, but the association of genetic variants of ODAD2 with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has not been reported. Methods We enrolled 80 healthy subjects and 468 Guangxi hepatitis B virus (HBV)-related HCC patients in this study. A case–control study method was used to explore the association of different ODAD2-rs7893462 genotypes with hepatocarcinogenesis. A comprehensive survival analysis was used to explore the association of rs7893462 with the prognosis of HBV-related HCC in Guangxi. Results Through a case–control study, we observed that patients carrying the G allele of rs7893462 had a markedly increased susceptibility to hepatocarcinogenesis (odds ratio = 1.712, 95% confidence interval = 1.032–2.839, P = 0.037). We found that there were significant prognosis differences among three different genotypes of rs7893462. Nomogram analysis suggested that the contribution of rs7893462 polymorphisms to the prognosis of HBV-related HCC was second only to the BCLC stage. Stratified survival analysis suggested that the AG genotype of rs7893462 was an independent prognostic risk factor for HBV-related HCC. Joint effect survival analysis also observed that the AG genotype of rs7893462 combined with clinical parameters could significantly identify HBV-related HCC patients with different prognostic outcomes more accurately, and the AG genotype was also observed to be independent of clinical factors in HBV-related HCC survival. Conclusion The ODAD2-rs7893462 polymorphisms can be used as an independent prognostic indicator of HBV-related HCC overall survival and are significantly associated with susceptibility to hepatocarcinogenesis.

Abstract Background Cisplatin is a widely used and effective chemotherapeutic agent against cancer. However, nephrotoxicity is one of the most common side effects of cisplatin, and it can proceed to acute kidney injury (AKI). Studies have reported that activation of transient receptor potential ankyrin-1 (TRPA1) mediates cisplatin-induced renal tubular cytotoxic injury. The aim of this study was to investigate the mechanism of TRPA1 in promoting cisplatin-induced AKI through modulation of the endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS)-mitochondrial damage. Methods A cisplatin-induced HK-2 cell model in vitro and mouse model in vivo were established. The mechanism of TRPA1 promotes AKI was elucidated by H&E staining, TUNEL staining, transmission electron microscope (TEM), immunofluorescence, CCK-8 viability assays, flow cytometry, Western blotting, JC-1 assay, and enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Result In vivo and in vitro, HC-030031 reduced cisplatin-induced Scr and BUN level elevations; improved cisplatin-induced renal tissue injury, apoptosis, and mitochondrial dysfunction; elevated the reduced ERS-associated proteins glucose-regulated protein 78 (GRP78), glucose-regulated protein 75 (GRP75), and C/EBP homologous protein (CHOP) levels induced by cisplatin; reduced the elevated optic atrophy 1 (OPA1), mito-fusion 1 (MFN1), and mito-fusion 2 (MFN2) protein levels, and elevated phospho-dynamin-related protein 1 (p-DRP1) and mitochondrial fission factor (MFF) protein levels. HC-030031 also reduced the mitochondria-associated endoplasmic reticulum membrane (MAM) structure. In addition, TRPA1 agonists also decreased cell proliferation, increased apoptosis, and triggered mitochondrial dysfunction and calcium overload in HK-2 cells via modulation of MAM. ERS inhibitors and GRP75 inhibitors reversed these changes caused by TRPA1 agonists. Conclusion Our findings suggest that TRPA1 enhances cisplatin-induced AKI via modulation of ERS and mitochondrial damage.

Topography critically affects the occurrence of soil erosion, and computing slope spectrum information entropy (SSIE) allows for the convenient mirroring of the patterns of macroscopic topographic variation. However, whether SSIE can be effectively utilized for the quantitative assessment of soil erosion across various types of water-erosion areas and the specific methodology for its application remain unclear. This study focused on the quantitative relationship between SSIE, the slope length and slope steepness (LS) factor within various types of water-erosion areas across different spatial scales in China using multi-source geographic information data and technical tools such as remote sensing and geographic information systems. The results revealed (1) clear consistency in the spatial patterns of SSIE and the LS factor, which both displayed a distinct three-step distribution pattern from south to north. (2) The power model (Y = A·X^B) demonstrated a superior capacity to explaining the relationship between SSIE and the LS factors compared to the linear or exponential models, as evidenced by a higher coefficient of determination (R2). R2 values of different evaluation units (second-grade water-erosion area, third-grade water-erosion area, 30 km × 30 km grid, and 15 km × 15 km grid) were 0.88, 0.88, 0.81, and 0.79, respectively. (3) Despite a range of variances across various spatial scale evaluation units and different types of water-erosion areas, no significant disparities were evident within the power model. These findings offer a new topographic factor that can be incorporated into models designed for the expedited evaluation of soil erosion rates across water-erosion areas. Information about the proximity of the SSIE to the LS factor is valuable for enhancing the practical utilization of SSIE in the quantitative evaluation of soil erosion.

The increasing demand for concrete reduces natural resources, such as sand and gravel, and also leads to a sharp increase in the amount of waste concrete produced. Due to the fact that the physical and mechanical properties of waste concrete made of recycled aggregates (RAs) differ greatly, it is difficult to use directly as a raw material for reinforced concrete (RC) components, which greatly restricts the popularization and application of RAs in actual projects. Utilizing the alkali aggregate properties of RAs to capture CO2 from industrial waste gases is an innovative way of enhancing their properties and promoting their application in real projects. However, the extent of the influence of original concrete strength (OCS) and coarse aggregate size (CAS) on the accelerated carbonation modification of RA is not clear, and a quantitative description is still required. For this purpose, accelerated carbonation tests on recycled coarse aggregate (RCA) samples under completely dry condition were carried out, and the variation laws for the physical property indicators of RCA samples before and after accelerated carbonation versus the OCS and CAS were revealed. Moreover, the influence degrees of the two factors, OCS and CAS, on the property enhancement of RCAs after accelerated carbonation were clarified, and the results of OCS and CAS corresponding to the best accelerated carbonation effects of RCAs were determined. By analyzing the micromorphology of RCA before and after accelerated carbonation, the reasons for property enhancement of RCAs with various OCSs and CASs under the best carbonation modifications were clarified. The findings will contribute to the development of basic theoretical research on accelerated carbonation modification of RA and have important scientific value.

Data missing is a ubiquitous problem in real-world systems that adversely affects the performance of machine learning algorithms. Although many useful imputation methods are available to address this issue, they often fail to consider the information provided by both features and labels. As a result, the performance of these methods might be constrained. Furthermore, feature selection as a data quality improvement technique has been widely used and has demonstrated its efficiency. To overcome the limitation of imputation methods, we propose a novel algorithm that combines data imputation and feature selection to tackle classification problems for mixed data. Based on the mean and standard deviation of quantitative features and the selecting probabilities of unique values of categorical features, our algorithm constructs different imputation models for quantitative and categorical features. Particle swarm optimization is used to optimize the parameters of the imputation models and select feature subsets simultaneously. Additionally, we introduce a legacy learning mechanism to enhance the optimization capability of our method. To evaluate the performance of the proposed method, seven algorithms and twelve datasets are used for comparison. The results show that our algorithm outperforms other algorithms in terms of accuracy and F1 score and has reasonable time overhead.

Advancements in information technology have facilitated the emergence of mHealth apps as crucial tools for health management and chronic disease prevention. This research work focuses on mHealth apps for the management of diabetes by patients on their own. Given that China has the highest number of diabetes patients in the world, with 141 million people and a prevalence rate of 12.8% (mentioned in the Global Overview of Diabetes), the development of a usability research methodology to assess and validate the user-friendliness of apps is necessary. This study describes a usability evaluation model that combines task analysis methods and eye movement data. A blood glucose recording application was designed to be evaluated. The evaluation was designed based on the model, and the feasibility of the model was demonstrated by comparing the usability of the blood glucose logging application before and after a prototype modification based on the improvement suggestions derived from the evaluation. Tests showed that an improvement plan based on error logs and post-task questionnaires for task analysis improves interaction usability by about 24%, in addition to an improvement plan based on eye movement data analysis for hotspot movement acceleration that improves information access usability by about 15%. The results demonstrate that this study presents a usability evaluation model for mHealth apps that enables the effective evaluation of the usability of mHealth apps.

The exterior orientation parameters (EOPs) provided by the self-developed position and orientation system (POS) of the first Chinese airborne three-line scanner mapping system, AMS-3000, are impacted by jitter, resulting in waveform distortions in rectified images. This study introduces a Gaussian Markov EOP refinement method enhanced by cubic spline interpolation to mitigate stochastic jitter errors. Our method first projects tri-view images onto a mean elevation plane using POS-provided EOPs to generate Level 1 images for dense matching. Matched points are then back-projected to the original Level 0 images for the bundle adjustment based on the Gaussian Markov model. Finally, cubic spline interpolation is employed to obtain EOPs for lines without observations. Experimental comparisons with the piecewise polynomial model (PPM) and Lagrange interpolation model (LIM) demonstrate that our method outperformed these models in terms of geo-referencing accuracy, EOP refinement metric, and visual performance. Specifically, the line fitting accuracies of four linear features on Level 1 images were evaluated to assess EOP refinement performance. The refinement performance of our method showed improvements of 50%, 45.1%, 29.9%, and 44.6% over the LIM, and 12.9%, 69.2%, 69.6%, and 49.3% over the PPM. Additionally, our method exhibited the best visual performance on these linear features.

External corrosion poses a significant threat to the integrity and lifespan of buried pipelines. Accurate prediction of corrosion rates is important for the safe and efficient transportation of oil and natural gas. However, limited data availability often impacts the performance of conventional predictive models. This study proposes a novel composite modeling approach integrating kernel principal component analysis (KPCA), particle swarm optimization (PSO), and extreme learning machine (ELM). The key innovation lies in using KPCA for reducing the dimensionality of complex input data combined with PSO for optimizing the parameters of the ELM network. The model was rigorously trained on 12 different datasets and comprehensively evaluated using metrics such as the coefficient of determination (R2), standard deviation (SD), mean relative error (MRE), and root mean square error (RMSE). The results show that KPCA effectively extracted four primary components, accounting for 91.33% of the data variability. The KPCA-PSO-ELM composite model outperformed independent models with a higher accuracy, achieving an R2 of 99.59% and an RMSE of only 0.0029%. The model comprehensively considered various indicators under the conditions of limited data. The model significantly improved the prediction accuracy and provides a guarantee for the safety of oil and gas transport.

Abstract Background The current standard of care for non‐bulky diffuse large B‐cell lymphoma (DLBCL) patients with an International Prognostic Index (IPI) of 0 is four cycles of rituximab plus cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine and prednisone (R‐CHOP) but whether the same efficacy can be achieved with reduced chemotherapy regimen of four cycles for non‐bulky DLBCL patients with an IPI of 1 remains unclear. This study compared four cycles versus six cycles of chemotherapy in non‐bulky low‐risk DLBCL patients with negative interim positron emission tomography with computed tomography (PET‐CT, Deauville 1‐3), irrespective of age and other IPI risk factors (IPI 0‐1). Methods This was an open‐label, randomized, phase III, non‐inferiority trial. Patients aged 14‐75 years with newly diagnosed low‐risk DLBCL, according to IPI, achieving PET‐CT confirmed complete response (CR) after four cycles of R‐CHOP were randomized (1:1) between four cycles of rituximab (4R‐CHOP+4R arm) or two cycles of R‐CHOP plus two cycles of rituximab (6R‐CHOP+2R arm). The primary endpoint was 2‐year progression‐free survival (PFS), conducted in the intention‐to‐treat population. Safety was assessed in patients with at least one cycle of assigned treatment. The non‐inferiority margin was ‐8%. Results A total of 287 patients were included in the intention‐to‐treat analysis, the median follow‐up was 47.3 months, and the 2‐year PFS rate was 95% (95% confidence interval [CI], 92% to 99%) and 94% (95% CI, 91% to 98%) for the 4R‐CHOP+4R and 6R‐CHOP+2R arm. The absolute difference in 2‐year PFS between the two arms was 1% (95% CI, ‐5% to 7%), supporting the non‐inferiority of 4R‐CHOP+4R. Grade 3‐4 neutropenia was lower in the last four cycles of rituximab alone in the 4R‐CHOP+4R arm (16.7% versus 76.9%), with decreased risk of febrile neutropenia (0.0% versus 8.4%) and infection (2.1% versus 14.0%). Conclusions For newly diagnosed low‐risk DLBCL patients, interim PET‐CT after four cycles of R‐CHOP was effective in identifying patients with Deauville 1‐3 who would have a good response and Deauville 4‐5 patients who might have high‐risk biological features or develop resistance. Reducing the standard six cycles to four cycles of chemotherapy had comparable clinical efficacy and fewer adverse events in low‐risk, non‐bulky DLBCL with interim PET‐CT confirmed CR.

Abstract Background The identification of pathogenic mutations in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) causal genes led to a better understanding of the pathobiology of AD. Familial Alzheimer’s disease (FAD) is known to be associated with mutations in the APP, PSEN1, and PSEN2 genes involved in Aβ production; however, these genetic defects occur in only about 10–20% of FAD cases, and more genes and new mechanism causing FAD remain largely obscure. Methods We performed exome sequencing on family members with a FAD pedigree and identified gene variant ZDHHC21 p.T209S. A ZDHHC21T209S/T209S knock-in mouse model was then generated using CRISPR/Cas9. The Morris water navigation task was then used to examine spatial learning and memory. The involvement of aberrant palmitoylation of FYN tyrosine kinase and APP in AD pathology was evaluated using biochemical methods and immunostaining. Aβ and tau pathophysiology was evaluated using ELISA, biochemical methods, and immunostaining. Field recordings of synaptic long-term potentiation were obtained to examine synaptic plasticity. The density of synapses and dendritic branches was quantified using electron microscopy and Golgi staining. Results We identified a variant (c.999A > T, p.T209S) of ZDHHC21 gene in a Han Chinese family. The proband presented marked cognitive impairment at 55 years of age (Mini-Mental State Examination score = 5, Clinical Dementia Rating = 3). Considerable Aβ retention was observed in the bilateral frontal, parietal, and lateral temporal cortices. The novel heterozygous missense mutation (p.T209S) was detected in all family members with AD and was not present in those unaffected, indicating cosegregation. ZDHHC21T209S/T209S mice exhibited cognitive impairment and synaptic dysfunction, suggesting the strong pathogenicity of the mutation. The ZDHHC21 p.T209S mutation significantly enhanced FYN palmitoylation, causing overactivation of NMDAR2B, inducing increased neuronal sensitivity to excitotoxicity leading to further synaptic dysfunction and neuronal loss. The palmitoylation of APP was also increased in ZDHHC21T209S/T209S mice, possibly contributing to Aβ production. Palmitoyltransferase inhibitors reversed synaptic function impairment. Conclusions ZDHHC21 p.T209S is a novel, candidate causal gene mutation in a Chinese FAD pedigree. Our discoveries strongly suggest that aberrant protein palmitoylation mediated by ZDHHC21 mutations is a new pathogenic mechanism of AD, warranting further investigations for the development of therapeutic interventions.

Abstract The design of perovskite structures with multiferroic magnetoelectric coupling effects opens up new opportunities in fields such as the creation of next-generation spin-dependent multistate information storage technologies. In this work, we prepared a transition metal-implanted perovskite with multiferroic magnetoelectric coupling, in which both magnetoelectric coupling and a blueshift of photoluminescence were observed. The introduction of transition metal-generated polarized spin interacts with the electronic orbit through spin–orbital coupling to lead to a pronounced octahedron distortion, where the temperature dependence of the dielectric constant undergoes a ferroelectric polarization transition. An external magnetic field could enhance the strength of spin polarization to further affect the magnitude of electric polarization. Moreover, applying an electric field tunes the distortion of the octahedron dependence of electric polarization to feed back to the change in spin polarization. Overall, the spin polarization-induced electric polarization in perovskites provides a unique approach to realizing the room-temperature magnetoelectric coupling of multiferroic materials.

Mollisols are rich in organic matter, which makes them suitable for cultivation and for enhancing global food security. Mollisols are experiencing severe soil erosion due to overfarming and a lack of maintenance. Thus, suitable soil and water conservation measures (SWCMs) are needed to protect Mollisols. However, how SWCMs respond to changes in slope gradient and rainfall and their effective application area remain ambiguous. Using a long-term field observation dataset, meta-analysis, and statistical test methods, we reveal the typical erosion reduction effect of SWCMs and their responses to changes in slope gradient and rainfall. Next, we calculated a coupling factor, P·S, by slope gradient and rainfall in flood season to determine the effective SWCMs application threshold. Compared with bare land, no-tillage (NT), contour ridge tillage (CT), ridge hedgerows (RH), and terraced fields (TF) had an average erosion reduction coefficient of 91.5%. There was a significant exponential increase in the correlation between P·S and the soil erosion amount in plots with typical measures. According to this correlation and soil loss tolerance (200 t/km2), the upper limits of P·S (NT: 564 mm; CT: 885 mm; RH: 1135 mm) were determined and utilized to determine the effective application areas (NT: 311.40 103 km2; CT: 320.86 103 km2; RH: 323.72 103 km2) at the plot scale. In wet years, the applicable area of SWCMs declined toward the low-elevation foothills and flat terrain. All the results are applicable when slope length within 20 m. These results provide a basis for the precise allocation of SWCMs in Mollisols area and promote the scientific utilization of Mollisols resources.

Electrical energy is becoming more popular due to the fact that it is economic, practical, clean, and easy to control and convert energy compared to other forms of energy. Currently, however, most of the electrical energy is converted from or to mechanical energy based on the well-known Faraday’s law of electromagnetic induction, which states that a current will be induced in a closed conductive coil exposed to a changing magnetic field. For that purpose, either the magnetic field itself must be changing or the magnetic field must be moving relative to the closed conductive coil. While investigating the physical significance of magductance (or magnetic-inductance), we unearthed a new electromagnetic induction mechanism that the electrical current is induced in a closed conductive coil with the invariant magnetic field by changing the magnetic parameter of magductance of the closed coil. Time-varying magductance is achieved by changing the conductivity of the coil. To demonstrate the feasibility of the electromagnetic induction, both theoretical validation and experimental verification are undertaken. We built a closed superconducting coil and successfully measured the induced electrical currents in the cooling process of the closed superconducting coil under an invariant magnetic field, thus verifying the new law of electromagnetic induction.