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Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) is extensively employed in the treatment of hematological malignancies but is markedly constrained by the paucity of hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells (HSPCs). Recent studies have found that marrow adipose tissue (MAT) acts on hematopoiesis through complicated mechanisms. Therefore, the osteo-organoids fabricated in vivo using biomaterials loaded with recombinant human bone morphogenetic protein 2 (rhBMP-2) have been used as models of MAT for our research. To obtain sufficient amounts of therapeutic HSPCs and healthy MAT, we have developed amphiphilic chitosan (AC)-gelatin as carriers of rhBMP-2 to the regulate type conversion of adipose tissue and trap hematopoietic growth factors. Unlike medicine interventions or cell therapies, the traps based on AC not only attenuate the occupancy of adipocytes within the hematopoietic microenvironment while preserving stem cell factor concentrations, but also improve marrow metabolism by promoting MAT browning. In conclusion, this approach increases the proportion of HSPCs in osteo-organoids, and optimizes the composition and metabolic status of MAT. These findings furnish an experimental basis for regulating hematopoiesis in vivo through materials that promote the development of autologous HSPCs. Additionally, this approach presents a theoretical model of rapid adipogenesis for the study of adipose-related pathologies and potential pharmacological targets.

Background: Keloids are benign skin tumors characterized by fibroblast proliferation, tumor-like biological behavior, and excessive deposition of extracellular matrix in wounded skin. Ferroptosis, a type of programmed cell death, is critical in tumor pathogenesis. We aimed to investigate the role of ferroptosis in keloid formation. Methods: We downloaded public high-throughput sequencing raw count data (GSE92566), containing three normal skin and four keloid samples, from the Gene Expression Omnibus database. Ferroptosis-related genes were obtained from the Ferroptosis database website. The ferroptosis-related differentially expressed genes (FRDEGs) were obtained by merging differentially expressed genes with ferroptosis-related genes. The FRDEGs were then used for Gene Ontology, Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes, Gene Set Enrichment Analysis, protein-protein interaction (PPI) network, and microRNA (miRNA)-mRNA network analysis. Finally, real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) was performed to validate our findings. Results: We found 25 FRDEGs, including 8 up-regulated and 17 down-regulated genes. Pathway enrichment analysis revealed that the Hippo and transforming growth factor β signaling pathways were significantly up-regulated in keloids. In contrast, regulation of the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor signaling pathway, glutathione metabolism, and unsaturated fatty acid metabolic process were down-regulated. PPI and FRDEGs hub networks were constructed using the STRING database and Cytoscape software. Ten hub genes were identified, including PLA2G6, RARRES2, SNCA, CYP4F8, CDKN2A, ALOX12, FABP4, ALOX12B, NEDD4, and NEDD4L. We constructed a miRNA-mRNA network, which predicted hsa-mir-155-5p, hsa-let-7b-5p, hsa-mir-124-3p, hsa-mir-145-5p, hsa-mir-328-3p, hsa-mir-24-3p, and hsa-mir-10b-5p as the most connected miRNAs regulating ferroptosis in keloids. Finally, we verified the expression levels of the hub genes by RT-qPCR, which confirmed that ALOX12, ALOX12B, and CYP4F8 expression were reduced in keloids. Conclusions: This study provides novel information on ferroptosis-mediated keloid pathogenesis, underscoring the importance of further research in this area to unlock new therapeutic avenues for keloid treatment.

Abstract The mid-Piacenzian warm period (MPWP, ~3.264–3.025 Ma) has gained widespread interest due to its partial analogy with future climate. However, quantitative data–model comparison of East Asian Summer Monsoon (EASM) precipitation during the MPWP is relatively rare, especially due to problems in decoding the imprint of physical processes to climate signals in the records. In this study, pollen-based precipitation records are reconstructed and compared to the multi-model ensemble mean of the Pliocene Model Intercomparison Project Phase 2 (PlioMIP2). We find spatially consistent precipitation increase in most simulations but a spatially divergent change in MPWP records. We reconcile proxy data and simulation by decomposing physical processes that control precipitation. Our results 1) reveal thermodynamic control of an overall enhancement of EASM precipitation and 2) highlight a distinct control of thermodynamic and dynamical processes on increases of tropical and subtropical EASM precipitation, reflecting the two pathways of water vapor supply that enhance EASM precipitation, respectively.

Abstract Sluggish kinetics of the CO2 reduction/evolution reactions lead to the accumulation of Li2CO3 residuals and thus possible catalyst deactivation, which hinders the long-term cycling stability of Li-CO2 batteries. Apart from catalyst design, constructing a fluorinated solid-electrolyte interphase is a conventional strategy to minimize parasitic reactions and prolong cycle life. However, the catalytic effects of solid-electrolyte interphase components have been overlooked and remain unclear. Herein, we systematically regulate the compositions of solid-electrolyte interphase via tuning electrolyte solvation structures, anion coordination, and binding free energy between Li ion and anion. The cells exhibit distinct improvement in cycling performance with increasing content of C-N species in solid-electrolyte interphase layers. The enhancement originates from a catalytic effect towards accelerating the Li2CO3 formation/decomposition kinetics. Theoretical analysis reveals that C-N species provide strong adsorption sites and promote charge transfer from interface to *CO2 2− during discharge, and from Li2CO3 to C-N species during charge, thereby building a bidirectional fast-reacting bridge for CO2 reduction/evolution reactions. This finding enables us to design a C-N rich solid-electrolyte interphase via dual-salt electrolytes, improving cycle life of Li-CO2 batteries to twice that using traditional electrolytes. Our work provides an insight into interfacial design by tuning of catalytic properties towards CO2 reduction/evolution reactions.

Lead (Pb) is an environmentally widespread bone toxic pollutant, contributes to the development of osteoporosis. Butyric acid, mainly produced by the fermentation of indigestible dietary fiber by gut microbiota, plays a pivotal role in the maintenance of bone homeostasis. However, the effects of butyric acids on the Pb induced osteoporosis have not yet been elucidated. In this study, our results showed that Pb exposure was negatively related to the abundance of butyric acid, in the Pb-exposed population and Pb-exposed mice. Pb exposure caused gut microbiota disorders, resulting in the decline of butyric acid-producing bacteria, such as Butyrivibrio_crossotus, Clostridium_sp._JN9, and the butyrate-producing enzymes through the acetyl-CoA pathway. Moreover, results from the NHANES data suggested that dietary intake of butyrate was associated with a reduced risk of osteoporosis in lead-burdened populations, particularly among men or participants aged 18–60 years. In addition, butyrate supplementation in mice with chronic Pb exposure improved the bone microarchitectures, repaired intestinal damage, upregulated the proportion of Treg cells. Taken together, these results demonstrated that chronic Pb exposure disturbs the gut-bone axis, which can be restored by butyric acid supplement. Our results suggest that butyrate supplementation is a possible therapeutic strategy for lead-induced bone toxicity.

Objective We developed a few-shot learning (FSL) framework for the diagnosis of osteopenia and osteoporosis in knee X-ray images. Methods Computer vision models containing deep convolutional neural networks were fine-tuned to enable generalization from natural images (ImageNet) to chest X-ray images (normal vs. pneumonia, base images). Then, a series of automated machine learning classifiers based on the Euclidean distances of base images were developed to make predictions for novel images (normal vs. osteopenia vs. osteoporosis). The performance of the FSL framework was compared with that of junior and senior radiologists. In addition, the gradient-weighted class activation mapping algorithm was used for visual interpretation. Results In Cohort #1, the mean accuracy (0.728) and sensitivity (0.774) of the FSL models were higher than those of the radiologists (0.512 and 0.448). A diagnostic pipeline of FSL model (first)–radiologists (second) achieved better performance (0.653 accuracy, 0.582 sensitivity, and 0.816 specificity) than radiologists alone. In Cohort #2, the diagnostic pipeline also showed improved performance. Conclusions The FSL framework yielded practical performance with respect to the diagnosis of osteopenia and osteoporosis in comparison with radiologists. This retrospective study supports the use of promising FSL methods in computer-aided diagnosis tasks involving limited samples.

Microbially induced carbonate precipitation (MICP), as an eco-friendly and promising technology that can transform free metal ions into stable precipitation, has been extensively used in remediation of heavy metal contamination. However, its depressed efficiency of heavy metal elimination remains in question due to the inhibition effect of heavy metal toxicity on bacterial activity. In this work, an efficient, low-cost manganese (Mn) elimination strategy by coupling MICP with chitosan biopolymer as an additive with reduced treatment time was suggested, optimized, and implemented. The influences of chitosan at different concentrations (0.01, 0.05, 0.10, 0.15 and 0.30 %, w/v) on bacterial growth, enzyme activity, Mn removal efficiency and microstructure properties of the resulting precipitation were investigated. Results showed that Mn content was reduced by 94.5 % within 12 h with 0.15 % chitosan addition through adsorption and biomineralization as MnCO3 (at an initial Mn concentration of 3 mM), demonstrating a two-thirds decrease in remediation time compared to the chitosan-absent system, whereas maximum urease activity increased by ∼50 %. Microstructure analyses indicated that the mineralized precipitates were spherical-shaped MnCO3, and a smaller size and more uniform distribution of MnCO3 is obtained by the regulation of abundant amino and hydroxyl groups in chitosan. These results demonstrate that chitosan accelerates nucleation and tunes the growth of MnCO3 by providing nucleation sites for mineral formation and alleviating the toxicity of metal ions, which has the potential to upgrade MICP process in a sustainable and effective manner. This work provides a reference for further understanding of the biomineralization regulation mechanism, and gives a new perspective into the application of biopolymer-intensified strategies of MICP technology in heavy metal contamination.

Abstract Classical myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs) are characterized by the proliferation of myeloid cells and the risk of transformation into myelofibrosis or acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and TP53 mutations in MPN patients are linked to AML. However, JAK2V617F has been reported to impact the TP53 response to DNA damage, suggesting potential overlapping role of TP53 inactivation in MPN. We established a mouse model showing that JAK2V617F/Vav-Cre/Trp53−/− mice displayed a similar phenotype to JAK2V617F/Vav-Cre mice, but their proliferation was outcompeted in competitive grafts. RNA-Seq revealed that half of the genes affected by JAK2V617F were affected by p53-inactivation, including the interferon pathway. To validate this finding, mice were repopulated with a mixture of wild-type and JAK2V617F (or JAK2V617F/Vav-Cre/Trp53−/−) cells and treated with pegylated interferonα. JAK2V617F-reconstituted mice entered complete hematological remission, while JAK2V617F/Vav-Cre /Trp53−/−-reconstituted mice did not, confirming that p53 loss induced interferon-α resistance. KEGG and Gene Ontology analyses of common deregulated genes showed that these genes were mainly implicated in cytokine response, proliferation, and leukemia evolution, illustrating that in this mouse model, the development of MPN is not affected by TP53 inactivation. Taken together, our results show that many genetic modifications induced by JAK2V617F are influenced by TP53, the MPN phenotype may not be. Trp53 loss alone is insufficient to induce rapid leukemic transformation in steady-state hematopoiesis in JAK2V617F MPN, and Trp53 loss may contribute to interferon resistance in MPN.

The objective of image style transfer is to create an image that has the artistic features of a reference style image while also retaining the details of the original content image. Despite the promising outcomes of current approaches, they are still susceptible to generating image information distortion or noise texture problems due to the absence of an effective style representation. As a solution to the aforementioned issues, this paper proposes AMS-CycleGAN (Attention Moment Shortcut-Cycle Generative Adversarial Network), a CycleGAN-based method that achieves style transfer, resulting in artwork that closely resembles hand-painted masterpieces by artists. Initially, the framework makes use of the Positional Normalization-Moment Shortcut (PONO-MS) module, the purpose of which is to retain and transmit structural information in the generator. Additionally, the Multi-Scale-Structural Similarity Index (MS-SSIM) loss is added to strengthen the constraint on the brightness and colour contrast of images. Finally, an attention mechanism module is introduced in the discriminator to emphasize available features and suppress irrelevant features during the style transformation process. According to the experimental results obtained, our method demonstrates a higher level of consistency with human perception when compared to current state-of-the-art methods in image style transfer.

As ChatGPT has evolved, generative AI (Artificial Intelligence) has gone viral on the internet since 2022. Heated discussions on generative AI have appeared in both social media and academic field, generating massive textual data. Overwhelming media coverage of generative AI may lead to biased conception. To date, there has been no systematic analysis of how generative AI is mentioned on the internet. Moreover, little attention has been paid to demonstrating the gap in perceptions of generative AI between social media and academic field. This study seeks to focus on the following specific research questions: What are the key terms related to generative AI, what are the key term differences in social media and academic field on generative AI, and what are the topic differences of generative AI in social media and academic field? A text-mining approach supported by KH-coder was employed. The research data were drawn from two main text sources: the Sina Weibo platform and the CNKI periodical database. The results revealed statistically significant differences in key terms and topics related to generative AI between the social media and academic field. Our findings enhance the understanding of public ideas and the trend of generative AI on the internet, and provide supportive information for future studies on generative AI applications.

Summary: As an important way of maximizing land productivity by growing more than one crop type in the same field, mixed cropping has been an effective option for sustaining population growth under different climatic conditions since prehistoric period. We used a combination of archaeological data and an improved prehistoric land use model (PLUM) to quantitatively reconstruct spatiotemporal changes in cropland types and areas in the Huai River Valley of China, a core region of mixed cropping during the Holocene. The total cropland area increased more than 25 times during 8–2 ka BP, with northward expansion of rice-dominated cultivation during 5–4 ka BP and southward expansion of dry-dominated cultivation after 4 ka BP. Temperature and precipitation determined cropland types distribution, while that of cropland area was controlled by cultural development. The interplay between past climate, culture, and cultivation potentially provides useful insights into mitigating future population pressures with climate change.

Introduction It is appealing to accurately predict postoperative delirium (POD) before surgeries. In this study, it was hypothesized that a novel electroencephalogram-derived index, the delirium index (DELi), could extract latent information regarding the predisposing factors of POD preoperatively. This study was aimed at developing a concise model that incorporated this DELi score to predict the early POD of elderly patients after hip surgeries. Materials and Methods Elderly patients scheduled for elective hip fracture surgeries were prospectively enrolled in a tertiary care hospital from November 2020 to June 2022. DELi scores and patient characteristics (age, sex, types of fracture and surgery, the time interval between fracture and surgery, cognitive function assessed using the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), and frailty status assessed using the FRAIL scale) were collected preoperatively as candidate predictors. POD diagnosed using the confusion assessment method (CAM) was the outcome. Least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression analysis was used to select predictors. Then, these predictors were entered into a backward logistical regression analysis to develop a prediction model. Discrimination, calibration and clinical utility were validated using the bootstrapping method. Results All data (144 qualified patients of 170) were used for development. POD was observed in 71 patients (49.3%). Preoperative DELi scores predicted early POD (the area under the curve (AUC) = .786, 95% confidence interval (CI): .712, .860, in internal validation). A nomogram with MoCA, FRAIL scale and DELi score was constructed with excellent discrimination (AUC = .920, 95% CI: .876, .963, in internal validation), accredited calibration ( P = .733, Hosmer‒Lemeshow test), and a wide range of threshold probabilities (5% to 95%). Conclusions Preoperative DELi scores predicted the early POD of elderly patients after hip surgeries. A concise prediction model was developed and demonstrated excellent discrimination.

Dextransucrases play a crucial role in the production of dextran from economical sucrose; therefore, there is a pressing demand to explore novel dextransucrases with better performance. This study characterized a dextransucrase enzyme, LmDexA, which was identified from the Leuconostoc mesenteroides NN710. This bacterium was isolated from the soil of growing dragon fruit in Guangxi province, China. We successfully constructed six different N-terminal truncated variants through sequential analysis. Additionally, a truncated variant, ΔN190LmDexA, was constructed by removing the 190 amino acids fragment from the N-terminal. This truncated variant was then successfully expressed heterologously in Escherichia coli and purified. The purified ΔN190LmDexA demonstrated optimal hydrolysis activity at a pH of 5.6 and a temperature of 30 °C. Its maximum specific activity was measured to be 126.13 U/mg, with a Km of 13.7 mM. Results demonstrated a significant improvement in the heterologous expression level and total enzyme activity of ΔN190LmDexA. ΔN190LmDexA exhibited both hydrolytic and transsaccharolytic enzymatic activities. When sucrose was used as the substrate, it primarily produced high-molecular-weight dextran (>400 kDa). However, upon the addition of maltose as a receptor, it resulted in the production of a significant amount of oligosaccharides. Our results can provide valuable information for enhancing the characteristics of recombinant dextransucrase and potentially converting sucrose into high-value-added dextran and oligosaccharides.

CBP and p300 are homologous proteins exhibiting remarkable structural and functional similarity. Both proteins function as acetyltransferase and coactivator, underscoring their significant roles in cellular processes. The function of histone acetyltransferases is to facilitate the release of DNA from nucleosomes and act as transcriptional co-activators to promote gene transcription. Transcription factors recruit CBP/p300 by co-condensation and induce transcriptional bursting. Disruption of CBP or p300 functions is associated with different diseases, especially cancer, which can result from either loss of function or gain of function. CBP and p300 are multidomain proteins containing HAT (histone acetyltransferase) and BRD (bromodomain) domains, which perform acetyltransferase activity and maintenance of HAT signaling, respectively. Inhibitors targeting HAT and BRD have been explored for decades, and some BRD inhibitors have been evaluated in clinical trials for treating hematologic malignancies or advanced solid tumors. Here, we review the development and application of CBP/p300 inhibitors. Several inhibitors have been evaluated in vivo, exhibiting notable potency but limited selectivity. Exploring these inhibitors emphasizes the promise of targeting CBP and p300 with small molecules in cancer therapy.

Summary: The traditional transition metal catalyzed neutral C(sp)-C(sp2) cross-coupling reaction between a nucleophile and an electrophile is a key technique for the formation of carbon-carbon bonds. Herein, we present a general gold-catalyzed oxidative Sonogashira cross-coupling of arylboronic acids and terminal arylalkynes at room temperature with excellent functional-group tolerance and good chemoselectivity. Moreover, our mechanistic studies suggested a third pathway involving a base-assisted transmetalation between the gold(I) catalyst and aryl boronic acid might predominate in our reaction conditions, rather than the previously assumed oxidation of the gold(I) complex or deprotonation of alkynes.

Antimony (Sb) in natural water has long-term effects on both the ecological environment and human health. Iron mineral phase transformation (IMPT) is a prominent process for removing Sb(V) from natural water. However, the importance of IMPT in eliminating Sb remains uncertain. This study examined the various Sb–Fe binding mechanisms found in different IMPT pathways in natural water, shedding light on the underlying mechanisms. The study revealed that the presence of goethite (Goe), hematite (Hem), and magnetite (Mag) significantly affected the concentration of Sb(V) in natural water. Elevated pH levels facilitated higher Fe content in iron solids but impeded the process of removing Sb(V). To further our understanding, polluted natural water samples were collected from various locations surrounding Sb smelter sites. Results confirmed that converting ferrihydrite (Fhy) to Goe significantly reduced Sb levels (

Concrete is widely used in bridges, tunnels, nuclear power plants and other buildings, the damage of concrete will bring significant safety hazards for the building, therefore, detecting concrete damage is of great significance. In this paper, the propagation characteristics of guided waves in concrete plates are investigated, and finite element simulation is used to analyze the sensitivity of guided waves to the damage of concrete materials under different excitation frequencies. Simulation experiments on guided wave propagation are performed on concrete materials containing damage in the excitation frequency range from 25 to 100 kHz. The signals received by the sensors are analyzed in the time domain, while the reflected wave signals resulting from the contact of the signals with the damage are analyzed in the frequency domain. The results show that the excitation frequencies of 25 and 60 kHz are more sensitive to damage, and the quantitative identification of damage without reference can be realized by using the peak signals in the frequency domain at different excitation frequencies.

Sea level changes during the Mid-Holocene directly influenced the Neolithic culture in the Yangtze River Delta region (YRD). However, the high-resolution sea level change characteristics for this period remain unclear. In this study, we performed a high-resolution palynological analysis, including pollen, Dinoflagellate cysts, and Foraminiferal organic linings, using a high-resolution sediment core from Shanglin Lake, in the North of Ningshao Plain (the south of Hangzhou Bay). 11 accelerator mass spectrometry 14C(AMS) datings indicate the age of the sediments range from 8 cal ka B.P. to 5.6 cal ka B.P. The results show that during the Mid-Holocene, Shanglin Lake evolved from an estuary – subtidal lagoon – semi-enclosed bay – semi-enclosed lagoon – semi-enclosed bay – enclosed lagoon to a modern freshwater lake. There was a period of no, or minimal, eustatic sea-level rise between 7733 and 7585 cal yr B.P. The Mid-Holocene high sea level comes in 7253–7082 cal yr BP. Between 7000 cal yr BP and 5502 cal yr BP, the sea level is close to modern value. The sea level change during this period had a significant impact on the local Neolithic human activity.

The nitrogen vacancy (NV) color centers are a solid-state quantum system with the ability to maintain long coherence times at room temperatures. NV centers have potential applications in quantum detection, which necessitates their positioning at minimal distances from surfaces. However, the existing methods for fabricating NV centers are cumbersome, expensive, and difficult to control. This study investigates the etching mechanism of transition metals on diamond under plasma conditions and develops a method for producing shallow NV centers on the surface of high pressure and high temperature diamond. Our proposed method enables the production of shallow NV centers below the surface in the longitudinal direction, while simultaneously allowing precise control over the lateral distribution. Moreover, the operating costs associated with our technique are significantly lower than those of ion implantation and electron irradiation. This research contributes to the advancement of iron-etching diamond processing technology, and the proposed method facilitates the more portable preparation of shallow color centers in specific regions, enabling the realization of locally controllable and scalable coupled quantum systems.

Introduction Laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG) is one of the most effective interventions to promote weight-loss and induce reversal of brain functional and structural abnormalities. However, it is unclear whether these brain alterations occur simultaneously as well as the relationship with weight-loss. Methods We employed magnetic resonance imaging to investigate brain changes in 35 patients with obesity (OB), 36 normal-weight (NW) individuals, and 22 OB who received LSG and were studied at baseline and 1 month after LSG. Results Comparisons between OB and NW and between pre- and post-LSG showed (1) Resting-state activity differences in amplitude of low frequency fluctuation (ALFF) in the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC), caudate, hippocampus (HIPP), amygdala, thalamus, anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. (2) Structural differences in fractional anisotropy (FA) in the middle cerebellar peduncle (MCP), genu corpus collosum (GCC), cingulate (Cin), and superior longitudinal fasciculus. Correlation analysis showed that (1) Reduced BMI/waist-circumference was positively correlated with decreased ALFF in the OFC and negatively associated with increased FA in the GCC following LSG. (2) Increased ALFF in the ACC was positively correlated with increased FA in the GCC and MCP. ALFF in the HIPP was negatively correlated with FA in the Cin at post-LSG. Conclusions These findings provide evidence that LSG induces simultaneous changes in brain function and structure which are associated with weight-loss.

Abstract Background Sarcopenia is a geriatric syndrome with progressive loss of skeletal muscle mass and function and has a negative impact on clinical outcomes associated with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Recently, the sarcopenia index (SI) was developed as a surrogate marker of sarcopenia based upon the serum creatinine to cystatin C ratio. We aimed to assess the value of SI for predicting clinically important outcomes among elderly patients with acute exacerbation of COPD (AECOPD). Methods This cross-sectional study included elderly patients with AECOPD in China from 2017 to 2021. Clinical data were collected from medical records, and serum creatinine and cystatin C were measured. Outcomes included respiratory failure, heart failure, severe pneumonia, invasive mechanical ventilation, and mortality. Binary logistic regression was used to analyze the association between SI and clinical outcomes. Results A total of 306 patients (260 men, 46 women, age range 60–88 years) were enrolled in this study. Among the total patients, the incidence of respiratory failure and severe pneumonia was negatively associated with SI values. After adjusting for potential confounding factors, binary logistic regression analyses showed that a higher SI was still independently associated with a lower risk of respiratory failure (odds ratio [OR]: 0.27, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.13–0.56, P

Japanese anchovy (Engraulis japonicus) is a small pelagic fish with commercial and ecological importance. In spite of its importance, in recent years, specific research on anchovy in the Shandong Peninsula area has been relatively scarce and outdated. This study aims to estimate the age and growth characteristics of anchovy through year-round seasonal sampling from 2016 to 2017, utilizing length–frequency and otolith microstructure analysis. The higher coastal abundance and larger size observed in the spring and summer suggest a potential peak spawning period for anchovies dominated by larger-sized individuals. Based on otolith analysis, anchovies range in age from 0 to 4 years, with a limited presence at age 0 and dominance in the age-1 group. The length–weight relationship (LWR) equation shows hyper-allometric growth for each season, with a mean relative condition factor (Kn) of 1.025 ± 0.005, indicating good health. Additionally, the von Bertalanffy growth equation of can be expressed as Lt = 154.40 [1 − e−0.604 (t + 0.965)], suggesting a medium growth rate (K = 0.604). These findings contribute to the understanding of anchovy age and growth patterns, emphasizing the continuous need for research and monitoring to support rational and sustainable fisheries management and conservation efforts.

Heavy metals migrate easily and are difficult to degrade in the soil environment, which causes serious harm to the ecological environment and human health. Thus, soil heavy metal pollution has become one of the main environmental issues of global concern. Plant-growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) is a kind of microorganism that grows around the rhizosphere and can promote plant growth and increase crop yield. PGPR can change the bioavailability of heavy metals in the rhizosphere microenvironment, increase heavy metal uptake by phytoremediation plants, and enhance the phytoremediation efficiency of heavy-metal-contaminated soils. In recent years, the number of studies on the phytoremediation efficiency of heavy-metal-contaminated soil enhanced by PGPR has increased rapidly. This paper systematically reviews the mechanisms of PGPR that promote plant growth (including nitrogen fixation, phosphorus solubilization, potassium solubilization, iron solubilization, and plant hormone secretion) and the mechanisms of PGPR that enhance plant–heavy metal interactions (including chelation, the induction of systemic resistance, and the improvement of bioavailability). Future research on PGPR should address the challenges in heavy metal removal by PGPR-assisted phytoremediation.

Depletion attraction is a common entropy force observed in colloidal systems. As a common phenomenon in colloidal and bacterial systems, studying the mechanism and application of depletion attraction is of great value for controlling the state of colloidal solutions, regulating the morphology of colloidal particles, disease treatment, and water pollution treatment. Based on the current research status, we briefly introduce the calculation and measurement methods of depletion attractions. And we review the application of depletion attractions in colloidal systems, and summarize the different phenomena and aggregation mechanisms caused by depletion attraction in active colloidal particle-bacterial systems. Understanding the specific role of depletion aggregation in colloidal and bacterial systems provides more possibilities for further exploring depletion aggregation mechanisms and utilizing depletion aggregation phenomena in nature.

Abstract Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) is a well‐established method for a variety of acquired and congenital diseases. However, the limited number and sources of therapeutic hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells (HSPCs) hinder the further application of HSCT. A BMP‐2 triggered in vivo osteo‐organoid that is previously reported, serves as a kind of stem cell biogenerator, for obtaining therapeutic HSPCs via activating the residual regenerative capacity of mammals using bioactive biomaterials. Here, it is demonstrated that targeting the homing signaling of HSPCs elevates the proportions and biological functions of HSPCs in the in vivo osteo‐organoid. Notably, it is identified that sulfonated chito‐oligosaccharide, a degradation product of sulfonated chitosan, specifically elevates the expression of endothelial protein C receptor on HSPCs and vascular cell adhesion molecule‐1 on macrophages in the in vivo osteo‐organoid, ultimately leading to the production of adequate therapeutic HSPCs. This in vivo osteo‐organoid approach has the potential to provide an alternative HSPCs source for HSCT and benefits more patients.

Abstract Although great advances have been made over the past decades, therapeutics for osteosarcoma are quite limited. We performed long‐read RNA sequencing and tandem mass tag (TMT)‐based quantitative proteome on osteosarcoma and the adjacent normal tissues, next‐generation sequencing (NGS) on paired osteosarcoma samples before and after neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT), and high‐throughput drug combination screen on osteosarcoma cell lines. Single‐cell RNA sequencing data were analyzed to reveal the heterogeneity of potential therapeutic target genes. Additionally, we clarified the synergistic mechanisms of doxorubicin (DOX) and HDACs inhibitors for osteosarcoma treatment. Consequently, we identified 2535 osteosarcoma‐specific genes and several alternative splicing (AS) events with osteosarcoma specificity and/or patient heterogeneity. Hundreds of potential therapeutic targets were identified among them, which showed the core regulatory roles in osteosarcoma. We also identified 215 inhibitory drugs and 236 synergistic drug combinations for osteosarcoma treatment. More interestingly, the multiomic analysis pointed out the pivotal role of HDAC1 and TOP2A in osteosarcoma. HDAC inhibitors synergized with DOX to suppress osteosarcoma both in vitro and in vivo. Mechanistically, HDAC inhibitors synergized with DOX by downregulating SP1 to transcriptionally modulate TOP2A expression. This study provided a comprehensive view of molecular features, therapeutic targets, and synergistic drug combinations for osteosarcoma.

Acute myocardial ischemia is a disease with high morbidity and mortality, and re-perfusion is currently the best intervention. However, re-perfusion may lead to further myocardial injury and increase the area of myocardial infarction. The mechanism of myocardial ischemia-re-perfusion injury is complex, but with more in-depth study, it has been proved that the immune system plays an important role in the process of MIRI. Among them, the γδT cell population has received increasing attention as the main early source of IL-17A in many immune response models. Because γδT cells have the characteristics of linking innate immunity and adaptive immunity,they can rapidly produce IL-17A and produce subsequent immune killing of cardiomyocytes. It can be seen that γδT cells play an important role in MIRI. Therefore, here we review the research progress of immune response in myocardial ischemia-re-perfusion injury, the key characteristics of γδT cells and the role of rapidly produced IL-17 in myocardial ischemia-re-perfusion injury, and propose relevant treatment strategies and prospects for myocardial repair, in order to provide new ideas and methods for clinical treatment of myocardial ischemia-re-perfusion injury.

IntroductionEnvironmental pollutants could be implicated in female endocrine setting Q6 beyond traditional factors. Until now, few study has focused on the association of environmental exposure to heavy metals with sex hormones in postmenopausal women. This study intended to investigate whether serum levels of heavy metals(i.e., Cd, Pb, Hg, Mn, Se) would influence sex hormones in postmenopausal women.Methods and resultsA cross-sectional study was performed on 614 nationally representative participants from 2013-2016 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) in the US. Multivariate linear regression models and restricted cubic spline plots revealed cadmium(Cd) had linear positive association with TT(β=3.25, 95%CI= 1.12, 5.38), bioavailable TT(β=1.78, 95%CI=0.36,3.21) and TT/E2(β=0.76, 95%CI=0.28,1.24), which was more apparent in natural menopausal and obese women. Lead(Pb) had linear positive association with SHBG(β=12.84, 95%CI= 6.77,18.91), which was apparent in nearly all subgroups except in normal BMI group, and TT/E2 (β=0.69, 95%CI 0.134,1.25), which was apparent in natural menopausal and normal BMI women. Manganese(Mn) had non-linear association with SHBG, which was more apparent in natural menopausal and obese women, and TT/E2, which was more apparent in natural menopausal and normal BMI women. Selenium(Se) had U shaped non-linear association with TT, which was more apparent in hysterectomy, overweight and obese women, and SHBG, which was apparent in nearly all subgroups except in normal BMI group.ConclusionIn summary, this cross-sectional study indicates a possible role that various degree of environmental exposure to heavy metals plays in the disruption of sex Q5 hormone levels in postmenopausal women. Further experiments are needed to elucidate the underlying mechanisms.

Background: Soft tissue sarcoma (STS) is the malignancy that exhibits remarkable histologic diversity. The diagnosis and treatment of STS is currently challenging, resulting in a high lethality. Chronic inflammation has also been identified as a key characteristic of tumors, including sarcomas. Although senescence plays an important role in the progression of various tumors, its molecular profile remains unclear in STS.Methods: We identified the senescence-related genes (SRGs) in database and depicted characteristics of genomic and transcriptomic profiling using cohort within TCGA and GEO database. In order to investigate the expression of SRGs in different cellular subtypes, single-cell RNA sequencing data was applied. The qPCR and our own sequencing data were utilized for further validation. We used unsupervised consensus clustering analysis to establish senescence-related clusters and subtypes. A senescence scoring system was established by using principal component analysis (PCA). The evaluation of clinical and molecular characteristics was conducted among distinct groups.Results: These SRGs showed differences in SCNV, mutation and mRNA expression in STS tissues compared to normal tissues. Across several cancer types, certain shared features of SRGs were identified. Several SRGs closely correlated with immune cell infiltration. Four clusters related to senescence and three subtypes related to senescence, each with unique clinical and biological traits, were established. The senescence scoring system exhibited effectiveness in predicting outcomes, clinical traits, infiltrations of immune cells and immunotherapy responses.Conclusion: Overall, the current study provided a comprehensive review of molecular profiling for SRGs in STS. The SRGs based clustering and scoring model could help guiding the clinical management of STS.

Heavy metal(loid)s (HMs) have caused serious environmental pollution and health risks. Although the past few years have witnessed the achievements of studies on environmental behavior of HMs, the related toxicity mechanisms, and pollution control, their relationship remains a mystery. Researchers generally focused on one topic independently without comprehensive considerations due to the knowledge gap between environmental science and human health. Indeed, the full life cycle control of HMs is crucial and should be reconsidered with the combination of the occurrence, transport, and fate of HMs in the environment. Therefore, we started by reviewing the environmental behaviors of HMs which are affected by a variety of natural factors as well as their physicochemical properties. Furthermore, the related toxicity mechanisms were discussed according to exposure route, toxicity mechanism, and adverse consequences. In addition, the current state-of-the-art of available technologies for pollution control of HMs wastewater and solid wastes were summarized. Finally, based on the research trend, we proposed that advanced in-operando characterizations will help us better understand the fundamental reaction mechanisms, and big data analysis approaches will aid in establishing the prediction model for risk management.

Abstract Background Postoperative delirium (POD) is an acute mental disorder that often occurs in the elderly after surgery. It can delay functional recovery, extend hospital stay, and increase 1-year mortality and financial costs. Studies have shown that inflammation and cerebral desaturation are the potential pathogenesis of postoperative delirium. Prone-position surgery increases peak airway pressure and decreases lung compliance, exacerbating ventilator-induced inflammation response, as well as the decrease of the patient's cerebral oxygen saturation. Recent studies demonstrated that lung-protective ventilation strategy could reduce inflammatory response and improve cerebral oxygen saturation (rSO2) to prevent POD. In this trial, we aim to investigate the effect of the individualized PEEP on postoperative delirium in elderly patients during prone position. Methods A prospective, randomized clinical trial will be performed in Hebei General Hospital. 106 patients undergoing elective surgery in prone position will be randomly divided into controlled group (group C) and individualized PEEP group (group I). Lung-protective ventilation with tidal volume of 6ml/kg predictive body weight (PBW) and positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) of 5 cm H2O will be applied to patients in group C. Patients in group I will receive the same tidal volume as described in group C plus individualized PEEP corresponding to the maximum dynamic compliance (Cdyn) in the titration method. Our primary endpoint is the prevalence of postoperative delirium based on the Confusion Assessment Method (CAM) until postoperative day 3. Secondary endpoints include the intraoperative rSO2, respiratory variables, arterial blood gases, lung ultrasound score (LUS), postoperative VAS score, and plasma concentrations of IL-6, IL-1β and neuron-specific enolase (NSE). Discussion The results of the current protocol might provide evidence for individualized PEEP to prevent POD among older surgical patients in prone position. Trial registration Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (ChiCTR2200056001). Registered 2022 January 30, http://www.chictr.org.cn/index.aspx .

The study reconstructed Holocene seasonal temperatures using 1,310 pollen records covering the Northern Hemisphere landmass, and show that both summer and winter temperatures peaked at ~7 ka BP, but with significant spatial variability.

Highlights First report of a lithium-ion battery cathode as a deionization electrode for desalination. A novel approach to suppress manganese dissolution by exposing the (111) facet is proposed. Excellent desalination performance by the LiMn2O4/C cathode. The material achieves an ultrahigh desalination capacity of 117.3 mg g−1 at 1.0 V and a longer cycle life (200 cycles without capacity decay) with minor manganese dissolution during the cycling test in 10 mM aqueous LiCl solution. Abstract Battery materials as emerging capacitive deionization electrodes for desalination have better salt removal capacities than traditional carbon-based materials. LiMn2O4, a widely used cathode material, is difficult to utilize as a deionization electrode due to its structural instability upon cycling and Mn dissolution in aqueous-based electrolytes. Herein, a facile and low-cost ball-milling routine was proposed to prepare a LiMn2O4 material with highly exposed (111) facets. The prepared electrode exhibited relatively low dissolution of Mn during cycling, which shows its long cycle stability. In the hybrid capacitive deionization system, the LiMn2O4/C electrode delivered a high desalination capacity of 117.3 mg g−1 without obvious capacity decay at a voltage of 1.0 V with a 20 mM initial salt concentration. In addition, the exposed (111) facets significantly alleviated Mn ion dissolution, which also enhanced the structural steadiness.

Abstract Background Abnormally expressed in diverse cancers, circZFR has been correlated with clinical outcomes of cancer patients. Aim of this meta-analysis was to elucidate the prognostic role of circZFR in multiple human malignancies. Methods Literature retrieval was conducted by systematically searching on Pubmed, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Library up to December 2nd, 2021. Hazard ratios (HRs) or odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were pooled to evaluate the association between circZFR expression and overall survival (OS). The reliability of the pooled results was assessed through sensitivity analysis and the publication bias was measured by Begg’s and Egger’s test. Results A total of seventeen studies comprising 1098 Chinese patients were enrolled in this meta-analysis. Results demonstrated that high circZFR expression was correlated with an unfavorable OS (HR = 2.14, 95% CI 1.74, 2.64). High circZFR expression predicted larger tumor size (OR = 2.79, 95% CI 1.52, 5.12), advanced clinical stage (OR = 3.38, 95% CI 1.49, 7.65), tendentiousness of lymph node metastasis (LNM) (OR = 3.08, 95% CI 2.01, 4.71), and malignant grade (OR = 3.18, 95% CI 1.09, 9.30), but not related to age, gender, and distant metastasis (DM). Conclusions High circZFR expression was associated with unfavorable OS and clinicopathologic parameters including tumor size, clinical stage, LNM, and histology grade, implicating a promising prognostic factor in cancers.

Background: Soft-tissue sarcomas (STSs) are a rare type of cancer, accounting for about 1% of all adult cancers. Treatments for STSs can be difficult to implement because of their diverse histological and molecular features, which lead to variations in tumor behavior and response to therapy. Despite the growing importance of NETosis in cancer diagnosis and treatment, researches on its role in STSs remain limited compared to other cancer types.Methods: The study thoroughly investigated NETosis-related genes (NRGs) in STSs using large cohorts from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) databases. The Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator (LASSO) regression analysis and Support Vector Machine Recursive Feature Elimination (SVM-RFE) were employed for screening NRGs. Utilizing single-cell RNA-seq (scRNA-seq) dataset, we elucidated the expression profiles of NRGs within distinct cellular subpopulations. Several NRGs were validated by quantitative PCR (qPCR) and our proprietary sequencing data. To ascertain the impact of NRGs on the sarcoma phenotype, we conducted a series of in vitro experimental investigations. Employing unsupervised consensus clustering analysis, we established the NETosis clusters and respective NETosis subtypes. By analyzing DEGs between NETosis clusters, an NETosis scoring system was developed.Results: By comparing the outcomes obtained from LASSO regression analysis and SVM-RFE, 17 common NRGs were identified. The expression levels of the majority of NRGs exhibited notable dissimilarities between STS and normal tissues. The correlation with immune cell infiltration were demonstrated by the network comprising 17 NRGs. Patients within various NETosis clusters and subtypes exhibited different clinical and biological features. The prognostic and immune cell infiltration predictive capabilities of the scoring system were deemed efficient. Furthermore, the scoring system demonstrated potential for predicting immunotherapy response.Conclusion: The current study presents a systematic analysis of NETosis-related gene patterns in STS. The results of our study highlight the critical role NRGs play in tumor biology and the potential for personalized therapeutic approaches through the application of the NETosis score model in STS patients.

ABSTRACT The interferon (IFN) system is an extremely powerful antiviral response in animal cells. The subsequent effects caused by porcine astrovirus type 1 (PAstV1) IFN activation are important for the host’s response to viral infections. Here, we show that this virus, which causes mild diarrhea, growth retardation, and damage of the villi of the small intestinal mucosa in piglets, induces an IFN response upon infection of PK-15 cells. Although IFN-β mRNA was detected within infected cells, this response usually occurs during the middle stages of infection, after genome replication has taken place. Treatment of PAstV1-infected cells with the interferon regulatory factor 3 (IRF3) inhibitor BX795 decreased IFN-β expression, whereas the nuclear factor kappa light chain enhancer of activated B cells (NF-κB) inhibitor BAY11-7082 did not. These findings indicate that PAstV induced the production of IFN-β via IRF3-mediated rather than NF-κB-mediated signaling pathways in PK-15 cells. Moreover, PAstV1 increased the protein expression levels of retinoic acid-inducible gene I (RIG-I) and melanoma differentiation-associated protein 5 (MDA5) in PK-15 cells. The knockdown of RIG-I and MDA5 decreased the expression levels of IFN-β and the viral loads and increased the infectivity of PAstV1. In conclusion, PAstV1 induced the production of IFN-β via the RIG-I and MDA5 signaling pathways, and the IFN-β produced during PAstV1 infection inhibited viral replication. These results will help provide new evidence that PAstV1-induced IFNs may protect against PAstV replication and pathogenesis. IMPORTANCE Astroviruses (AstVs) are widespread and can infect multiple species. Porcine astroviruses produce mainly gastroenteritis and neurological diseases in pigs. However, astrovirus-host interactions are less well studied, particularly with respect to their antagonism of IFN. Here, we report that PAstV1 acts via IRF3 transcription pathway activation of IFN-β. In addition, the knockdown of RIG-I and MDA5 attenuated the production of IFN-β induced by PAstV1 in PK-15 cells and increased efficient viral replication in vitro. We believe that these findings will help us to better understand the mechanism of how AstVs affect the host IFN response.

High-performance polymer dielectrics are critical for high-tech fields such as electrical insulation and aerospace. Nevertheless, it is still challenging to achieve simultaneous improvements in both dielectric constant and breakdown strength in polymer dielectrics. In this work, Al3+ substitution Si4+ in SiO2 by high-temperature sintering to create hole traps to obtain the acceptor-doped fillers Si1-0.75xAlxO2 (SA (x mol%)), and polyimide (PI) dielectric containing SA fillers with different contents were synthesized using in-situ polymerization. The hole traps in the fillers modulate the electrical behavior of the polymer dielectric, thereby significantly increasing the dielectric constant and breakdown strength by modulating the polarization behavior and capture carriers. Among them, the dielectric constant of the 1.25 vol% SA (1.5 mol%)/PI composite was increased to 3.60 at 1 Hz, and the breakdown strength Eb reached 581.5 kV/mm. This work provides a new synthesis strategy for simultaneously achieving high insulation and high polarization of polymer dielectric.

The transverse momentum (pT) spectra of charged particles measured in Au + Au collisions from the beam energy scan (BES) program, Cu + Cu collisions at sNN=62.4, 200 GeV at the RHIC and Pb + Pb, Xe + Xe collisions at the LHC are investigated in the framework of Tsallis thermodynamics. The theory can describe the experimental data well for all the collision systems, energies and centralities investigated. The collision energy and centrality dependence of the Tsallis distribution parameters, i.e., the temperature T and the nonextensive parameter q, for the A + A collisions are also studied and discussed. A novel scaling between the temperature divided by the natural logarithm of collision energy (T/lns) and the nonextensive parameter q is presented.

Background: Soft-tissue sarcoma (STS) is a massive threat to human health due to its high morbidity and malignancy. STS also represents more than 100 histologic and molecular subtypes, with different prognosis. There is growing evidence that anoikis play a key role in the proliferation and invasion of tumors. However, the effects of anoikis in the immune landscape and the prognosis of STS remain unclear.Methods: We analyzed the genomic and transcriptomic profiling of 34 anoikis-related genes (ARGs) in patient cohort of pan-cancer and STS from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database. Single-cell transcriptome was used to disclose the expression patterns of ARGs in specific cell types. Gene expression was further validated by real-time PCR and our own sequencing data. We established the Anoikis cluster and Anoikis subtypes by using unsupervised consensus clustering analysis. An anoikis scoring system was further built based on the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between Anoikis clusters. The clinical and biological characteristics of different groups were evaluated.Results: The expressions of most ARGs were significantly different between STS and normal tissues. We found some common ARGs profiles across the pan-cancers. Network of 34 ARGs demonstrated the regulatory pattern and the association with immune cell infiltration. Patients from different Anoikis clusters or Anoikis subtypes displayed distinct clinical and biological characteristics. The scoring system was efficient in prediction of prognosis and immune cell infiltration. In addition, the scoring system could be used to predict immunotherapy response.Conclusion: Overall, our study thoroughly depicted the anoikis-related molecular and biological profiling and interactions of ARGs in STS. The Anoikis score model could guide the individualized management.

Abstract The toxicity of heavy‐metal Pb and instability of lead‐based halide perovskite nanomaterials are main factors to impede their practical applications in the fields of solar cells, LEDs and scintillators. In this paper, all inorganic lead‐free cesium manganese halide nanocrystals are synthesized in glass for the first time. Red photoluminescence with broad PL band, negligible self‐absorption and a high photoluminescence quantum yield of 41.8% is obtained. In addition, modulating halide component can change the Mn2+ ions coordination environment to obtain tunable photoluminescence from red to green. More importantly, cesium manganese halide nanocrystals embedded glasses exhibit outstanding long‐term stabilities. Theses cesium manganese halide nanocrystals embedded glasses are also highly stable against high energy irradiation and exhibit highly efficient radioluminescence, making them promising for high‐resolution X‐ray imaging. These results demonstrate that cesium manganese halide nanocrystals embedded glasses are promising eco‐friendly candidates for applications in light‐emitting diodes and scintillators.

With the development of economy, heavy metal (HM) contamination has become an issue of global concern, seriously threating animal and human health. Looking for appropriate methods that decrease their bioavailability in the environment is crucial. Microbially induced carbonate precipitation (MICP) has been proposed as a promising bioremediation method to immobilize contaminating metals in a sustainable, eco-friendly, and energy saving manner. However, its performance is always affected by many factors in practical application, both intrinsic and external. This paper mainly introduced ureolytic bacteria-induced carbonate precipitation and its implements in HM bioremediation. The mechanism of HM immobilization and in-situ application strategies (that is, biostimulation and bioaugmentation) of MICP are briefly discussed. The bacterial strains, culture media, as well as HMs characteristics, pH and temperature, etc. are all critical factors that control the success of MICP in HM bioremediation. The survivability and tolerance of ureolytic bacteria under harsh conditions, especially in HM contaminated areas, have been a bottleneck for an effective application of MICP in bioremediation. The effective strategies for enhancing tolerance of bacteria to HMs and improving the MICP performance were categorized to provide an in-depth overview of various biotechnological approaches. Finally, the technical barriers and future outlook are discussed. This review may provide insights into controlling MICP treatment technique for further field applications, in order to enable better control and performance in the complex and ever-changing environmental systems.

With the large-scale wind power integration, power systems have to address not only the conventional power demand fluctuations but also the wind uncertainty. To improve the economical effectiveness, resilience, and environmental protection of power systems in the source-load uncertainty, a real-time low-carbon scheduling for the wind–thermal–hydro-storage integrated system is proposed. The power imbalance caused by the uncertainty is neutralized by the synergetic linear decision of multiple resources. To address the source-load uncertainty, a stochastic robust optimization is introduced, which establishes the system constraints by robust optimization for the resilience operation, while optimizing the expected operation cost in the empirical uncertainty distribution for economic efficiency. Moreover, a multi-point estimation is applied to formulate the expected operation cost precisely and quickly. By using the dual theory, the proposed real-time power scheduling is derived as a mixed integer bilinear constrained programming. A multi-step sequential convexified solution is developed to solve the complex scheduling problem, which linearizes the bilinear constraints with alternate optimization and relaxes the state variables of energy storages with an “estimation–correction” strategy. Finally, case studies show the superiority of the proposed scheduling method and convexified solution.

Magnetic resonance is a fundamental method to manipulate qubits in spin-based quantum information processing. In such areas, the functionality of fast frequency sweeping is required to determine the resonance of the system. We provide a hardware-synchronized sweeping microwave source with a minimal latency in the sub-μs level based on the direct digital synthesizer technique. The output frequency can be up-converted to match the requirement for particular applications. We demonstrate this module in an optically detected magnetic resonance experiment for a nitrogen-vacancy center, and the spectrum is obtained much faster than conventional schemes with high resolution. Comparing with commercial vector signal generators, our module is highly integrated on a single board with a limited area, especially suitable for engineering of quantum sensors and devices in the future.

Snapshot hyperspectral imaging technology is increasingly used in agricultural product monitoring. In this study, we present a 9× local zoom snapshot hyperspectral imaging system. Using commercial spectral sensors with spectrally resolved detector arrays, we achieved snapshot hyperspectral imaging with 14 wavelength bands and a spectral bandwidth of 10–15 nm. An experimental demonstration was performed by acquiring spatial and spectral information about the fruit and Drosophila. The results show that the system can identify Drosophila and distinguish well between different types of fruits. The results of this study have great potential for online fruit classification and pest identification.

BackgroundSpinal surgery causes severe postoperative pain. An erector spinae plane (ESP) block can relieve postoperative pain, but the optimal blocking method has not been defined. The aim of this study is to compare the feasibility of a one-level and a two-level lumbar ESP block and their effect on intraoperative and postoperative analgesia in lumbar spinal surgery.MethodsA total of 83 adult patients who were scheduled for posterior lumbar interbody fusion were randomly divided into two groups. Patients in Group I (n = 42) received an ultrasound-guided bilateral one-level ESP block with 0.3% ropivacaine, while patients in Group II (n = 41) received a bilateral two-level ESP block. Blocking effectiveness was evaluated, including whether a sensory block covered the surgical incision, sensory decrease in anterior thigh, and quadriceps strength decrease. Intraoperative anesthetic dosage, postoperative visual analogue scale scores of pain, opioid consumption, rescue analgesia, and opioid-related side effects were analyzed.ResultsOf the total number, 80 patients completed the clinical trial and were included in the analysis, with 40 in each group. The time to complete the ESP block was significantly longer in Group II than in Group I (16.0 [14.3, 17.0] min vs. 9.0 [8.3, 9.0] min, P = 0.000). The rate of the sensory block covering the surgical incision at 30 min was significantly higher in Group II than in Group I (100% [40/40] vs. 85.0% [34/40], P = 0.026). The rate of the sensory block in the anterior thigh was higher in Group II (43.8% [35/80] vs. 27.5% [22/80], P = 0.032), but the rate of quadriceps strength decrease did not differ significantly between the groups. The mean effect–site remifentanil concentration during intervertebral decompression was lower in Group II than in Group I (2.9 ± 0.3 ng/ml vs. 3.3 ± 0.5 ng/ml, P = 0.007).There were no significant differences between the groups in terms of intraoperative analgesic consumption, postoperative analgesic consumption, and postoperative VAS pain scores at rest and with movement within 24 h. There were no block failures, block-related complications, and postoperative infection.ConclusionsAmong patients undergoing posterior lumbar interbody fusion, the two-level ESP block provided a higher rate of coverage of the surgical incision by the sensory block when compared with the one-level method, without increasing the incidence of procedure-related complications. Clinical Trial Registrationwww.chictr.org.cn, identifier: ChiCTR2100043596

As an important global water vapor source, the Western Pacific warm pool (WPWP) influences precipitation changes in middle and low latitudes. The low-latitude water cycle is a key climate parameter at different time scales, as it contributes to various feedback processes. However, at present, indicators of precipitation variability in the equatorial western Pacific are limited. In this work, we used the sedimentary record of the southern margin of the WPWP to study the precipitation variability over the western equatorial Pacific since MIS8. The age framework based on plankton-foraminifera δ18O was used to analyze changes in geochemical elements, clay minerals, and magnetic parameters of a marine sediment core H10. As new precipitation records, our precipitation records (TiO2, χ, and SIRM concentration without carbonate base) are closely related to monsoon and Intertropical Convergence Zone and generally in inverse phase with the oxygen isotope records of stalagmites from caves in China. A spectral analysis showed an obvious precession period. The southern margin of the WPWP water cycle is closely related to the East Asian monsoon in the last four climate cycles, and is influenced by both high and low latitudes.

Medical imaging plays an indispensable role in evaluating, predicting, and monitoring a range of medical conditions. Radiomics, a specialized branch of medical imaging, utilizes quantitative features extracted from medical images to describe underlying pathologies, genetic information, and prognostic indicators. The integration of radiomics with artificial intelligence presents innovative avenues for cancer diagnosis, prognosis evaluation, and therapeutic choices. In the context of oncology, radiomics offers significant potential. Feature selection emerges as a pivotal step, enhancing the clinical utility and precision of radiomics. It achieves this by purging superfluous and unrelated features, thereby augmenting model performance and generalizability. The goal of this review is to assess the fundamental radiomics process and the progress of feature selection methods, explore their applications and challenges in cancer research, and provide theoretical and methodological support for future investigations. Through an extensive literature survey, articles pertinent to radiomics and feature selection were garnered, synthesized, and appraised. The paper provides detailed descriptions of how radiomics is applied and challenged in different cancer types and their various stages. The review also offers comparative insights into various feature selection strategies, including filtering, packing, and embedding methodologies. Conclusively, the paper broaches the limitations and prospective trajectories of radiomics.

Polyurethane elastomer (PUE), which is widely used in coatings for construction, transportation, electronics, aerospace, and other fields, has excellent physical properties. However, polyurethane elastomers are flammable, which limits their daily use, so the flame retardancy of polyurethane elastomers is very important. Reactive flame retardants have the advantages of little influence on the physical properties of polymers and low tendency to migrate out. Due to the remarkable needs of non-halogenated flame retardants, phosphorus flame retardant has gradually stood out as the main alternative. In this review, we focus on the fire safety of PUE and provide a detailed overview of the current molecular design and mechanisms of reactive phosphorus-containing, as well as P-N synergistic, flame retardants in PUE. From the structural characteristics, several basic aspects of PUE are overviewed, including thermal performance, combustion performance, and mechanical properties. In addition, the perspectives on the future advancement of phosphorus-containing flame-retarded polyurethane elastomers (PUE) are also discussed. Based on the past research, this study provides prospects for the application of flame-retarded PUE in the fields of self-healing materials, bio-based materials, wearable electronic devices, and solid-state electrolytes.

Solid rocket motors are prone to combustion instabilities, which may lead to various problems for the rockets, from unexpected oscillations, precision decreasing, to explosion. The unsteady combustion dynamics of the propellants play a crucial role in most solid rocket motors experiencing combustion instabilities. A modeling framework for the unsteady combustion of the solid propellant is constructed via the Zel’dovich-Novozhilov (ZN) phenomenological perspective. The overall unsteady combustion features of a quasi-steady homogeneous one-dimensional (QSHOD) model are investigated. The phenomenological ZN parameters are then calculated. Compared with the traditional ZN-QSHOD linear equivalence relation, the new calculated system yields better results for the pressure coupling response, especially in the non-linear regime. The proposed phenomenological modeling provides a new methodology for the model reduction of the complex flame models.

The boundary of Yellow Sea Cold Water Mass (YSCWM) is a key ocean frontal structure influencing the regional ecosystem. Complex oceanic processes such as tidal currents, upwelling, and internal waves influence fine-scale hydrological structures, comprehensively resulting in a significantly highly productive area for plankton and fisheries. However, detailed research requires inaccessible high-resolution data. To investigate the fine-scale and high-frequency effects of oceanic processes on the local hydrological and ecological environment, we conducted comprehensive cruise acoustic observations and intensive station surveys of the hydrological environment around the YSCWM boundary in summer 2021 and 2022, and found that: (1) fine-scale hydrological structures across the YSCWM boundary were directly captured through this specific intensive station observation design; (2) clear zooplankton diel vertical migration (DVM) phenomena match well with the thermocline variation, showing that acoustics are effective indicators that reflect the water mass layering structure in summer in the YS; and (3) the shear excited by internal waves during propagation and flood tides enhances the upward and downward mixing of the water mass near the thermocline, thus thickening and weakening the layer, an effect that will be more pronounced when both are present at the same time, with ebb tide having the opposite effect. Topographically influenced tidal upwelling also causes significant vertical fluctuations in isotherms. This represents a new way of studying the fine-scale hydrodynamic–hydrologic–ecological aspects of key regions through acoustic remote sensing.