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Anthropogenic aerosols have an important impact on summer heavy precipitation, but their impact and associated mechanisms are still greatly uncertain. In this study, the WRF-Chem including the aerosol-meteorology interactions was used to investigate the effects and possible mechanisms of aerosol direct, indirect, and total effects on a heavy rainfall event that occurred in Beijing during August 12—13, 2020. The results are as follows. (1) In the first stage of the precipitation (15∶00—18∶00 BT on August 12), due to the aerosol effects on solar radiation and cloud nuclei, the aerosol direct, indirect, and total effects all decrease the hourly precipitation intensity in the Beijing urban area, with a maximum reduction of 6 mm·h-1, 1 mm·h-1, and 4 mm·h-1, respectively. (2) In the second stage (20∶00 BT on August 12 to 04∶00 BT on August 13), both aerosol direct and indirect effects decrease the hourly precipitation intensity, with a maximum reduction of about 4 mm·h-1. The aerosol total effect has little impact on the hourly precipitation intensity but delays the precipitation time. Generally, the aerosol direct effect enhances the warm cloud process while weakening the cold cloud process, thus decreasing the precipitation and advancing the strong precipitation process in the second precipitation stage. The aerosol indirect effect decreases the effective radius of rain, thereby reducing the merging process and precipitation, and delaying the onset of heavy precipitation during the second precipitation stage. The aerosol total effect on precipitation is a nonlinear result of both aerosol direct and indirect effects, with the direct effect dominating in the first stage of precipitation and the indirect effect dominating in the second stage of precipitation.

Chromium (III) is an essential trace element for the human body. It modulates the synthesis, secretion, and content of insulin in the body. In addition to participating in the regulation of glucose and lipid metabolism, it performs various important physiological functions, including the reduction of glucose and lipid levels. Glucose and lipid metabolism disorders are the cause of many chronic diseases and have a complex pathogenesis. Research shows that chromium (III) is related to glucose and lipid metabolism. Therefore, this study performes a meta-analysis of studies related to the safety of chromium (III) and its influence on glucose and lipid metabolism and elucidated the mechanisms. Chromium (III) can enhance insulin sensitivity, promote glucose absorption and glycogen synthesis and improve insulin resistance by regulating AMPK/GLUT-4 and PI3K/Akt signaling pathways. And it also can improve lipid metabolism by regulating the expression of SREBP-1C, ACC1 and CD36. The article would provide a theoretical basis for the use of chromium (III) toward the prevention and treatment of metabolic diseases, such as diabetes mellitus and obesity, so that it could be further applied in the food industry.

Abstract Increasing evidence shows that food has significance beyond traditional perception (providing nutrition and energy) in maintaining normal life activities. It is indicated that the sense of taste plays a crucial part in regulating human life activities. Taste is one of the basic physiological sensations in mammals, and it is the fundamental guarantee for them to perceive, select, and ingest nutrients in order to survive. With the advances in electrophysiology, molecular biology, and structural biology, studies on the intracellular and extracellular transduction mechanisms of taste have made great progress and gradually revealed the indispensable role of taste receptors in the regulation and maintenance of normal physiological activities. Up to now, how food regulates life activities through the taste pathway remains unclear. Thus, this review comprehensively and systematically summarizes the current study about the sense of taste, the function of taste receptors, the taste–structure relationship of gustatory molecules, the cross‐talking between distinctive tastes, and the role of the gut–organ axis in the realization of taste. Moreover, we also provide forward‐looking perspectives on taste research to afford a scientific basis for revealing the scientific connotation of taste receptors regulating body health.

In comparison to laser additive manufacturing, metal droplet deposition technology presents substantial cost benefits by obviating the necessity for costly metal powders and high-power lasers. Nonetheless, prevalent metal droplet deposition methodologies often grapple with challenges such as intricate drive architectures, substantial droplet volumes, and diminished jetting frequencies. This paper proposes an ultrasonic vibration micro-jet ejection technique and constructs a prototype for metal additive manufacturing. Utilizing ultrasonic vibration of a tool rod, the technique generates a high-frequency acoustic pressure field within the crucible, which facilitates the ejection of molten metal from the nozzle. The study explores two operational modes: continuous jet and on-demand jet. It was determined that the tool rod's amplitude must exceed a certain threshold to initiate metal ejection. As the amplitude further increases, the droplet jetting behavior transitions from uniform to non-uniform ejection states. To enhance formability quality, the study examined the influence of various process parameters on single-pass and three-dimensional forming. The examination of jetted parts revealed that both uniform and non-uniform jets provide satisfactory formability and mechanical performance. This research presents a new direction for achieving efficient metal droplet jetting forming.

The promotion of low-carbon production is a crucial aspect of sustainable development, and carbon trading has proven to be an effective means of achieving this goal. However, the limited capital hinders small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) from achieving low-carbon production. Thus, this paper examines a low-carbon supply chain comprising a financially constrained manufacturer and a well-funded retailer. We propose a game-theoretical model that addresses the financial constraints of the manufacturer through buyer-backed purchase order financing (BPOF) or advance payment discount (APD) with carbon trading revenue-sharing contracts. We investigate the determination of pricing and carbon emission reduction strategies by firms utilizing diverse financing models. We find that the total amount of carbon emission reduction increases with the manufacturer’s carbon trade revenue-sharing ratio. The financing rate of BPOF has a negative impact on the amount of carbon emission reduction, while the discount rate of APD will not affect either the carbon emission reduction or the revenue of the supply chain. Among the two financing strategies, APD is optimal for maximizing profit and promoting low-carbon development throughout the supply chain.

Background The world’s first 24-h movement guidelines for adults were released on 15 October 2020 in Canada, though evidence of their associations with health indicators in young adults is sparse. This study aimed to report the prevalence of meeting the 24-h movement guidelines and associations with depressive symptoms in a sample of Chinese university students. Methods Cross-sectional data from 1,793 Chinese university students (mean age = 20.7 years, 63.6% female) were used. Sociodemographic information, movement behaviors (physical activity, sedentary behavior, and sleep duration), and depressive symptoms were collected using a self-reported questionnaire. Results The prevalence of meeting the 24-h movement guidelines was 27.8% in Chinese university students. Logistic regression results show that compared to those who met the 24-h movement guidelines, odds ratio (OR) for depressive symptoms in those who met fewer recommendations contained in the 24-h movement guidelines were significantly higher (OR for none = 3.4, 95% CI [2.1–5.5], p

To solve the problem of large sowing amount and poor sowing uniformity for millet, according to the physical characteristics of the millet seed and its sowing agronomic requirements, an electromagnetic vibration type fine and small-amount seeder was designed, and the main technical parameters of the seeder were determined, in order to realize the functions of furrow opening, electronically controlled seed metering, soil covering and pressing. Based on the principle of electromagnetic vibration, an electromagnetic vibration type seed metering device was designed to achieve uniform seeding of the millet seed with a small sowing amount; a seeding amount electronic control device was designed using an STM32 microcontroller, which realized the switching to sowing agronomic mode and the adjustment of the seeding amount with sowing operation speed; a vibration experimental bench was set up to simulate the vibration state of field operation, and studies on the seeding performance and vibration damping of the seed metering device by the isolation spring were carried out, as well as field sowing tests for verification. When the working voltage of the seed metering device is 80–160 V, the coefficients of variation for seeding uniformity per row and for total seeding uniformity are not greater than 3.57% and 2.39%, respectively, and the seed damage rate is less than 0.5%. The installation of isolation springs can increase the maximum vibration acceleration of the seed metering device by 10.61–28.20%, significantly reducing the impact of external vibrations on the seed metering device. Within the range of suitable sowing operation speeds, the electronic control device can meet the seeding amounts along with sowing operation speed in the 6, 7.5 and 9 kg/hm2 sowing agronomic modes, and the coefficient of variation for seeding uniformity per row, for total seeding uniformity and for sowing uniformity are not greater than 4.63%, 2.48% and 23.38%, respectively. This study provides a reference for the development of sowing machinery for millet crop.

The precise segmentation of Zanthoxylum bungeanum clusters is crucial for developing picking robots. An improved Mask R-CNN model was proposed in this study for the segmentation of Zanthoxylum bungeanum clusters in natural environments. Firstly, the Swin-Transformer network was introduced into the model’s backbone as the feature extraction network to enhance the model’s feature extraction capabilities. Then, the SK attention mechanism was utilized to fuse the detailed information into the mask branch from the low-level feature map of the feature pyramid network (FPN), aiming to supplement the image detail features. Finally, the distance intersection over union (DIOU) loss function was adopted to replace the original bounding box loss function of Mask R-CNN. The model was trained and tested based on a self-constructed Zanthoxylum bungeanum cluster dataset. Experiments showed that the improved Mask R-CNN model achieved 84.0% and 77.2% in detection mAP50box and segmentation mAP50mask, respectively, representing a 5.8% and 4.6% improvement over the baseline Mask R-CNN model. In comparison to conventional instance segmentation models, such as YOLACT, Mask Scoring R-CNN, and SOLOv2, the improved Mask R-CNN model also exhibited higher segmentation precision. This study can provide valuable technology support for the development of Zanthoxylum bungeanum picking robots.

Mechanized harvesting is a crucial step in the agricultural production of foxtail millet (Setaria italica), as its peduncles are susceptible to bending and breaking during the harvesting process, leading to yield losses and deterioration in grain quality. To evaluate the suitability of foxtail millet for mechanical harvesting, this study comprehensively analyzed the biomechanical properties of the peduncles and related biological morphological characteristics of 116 foxtail millet accessions, establishing a system for indicator screening and comprehensive evaluation. Using partial correlation analysis and R-type cluster analysis, four biomechanical and seven related morphological indices of the peduncle were screened from 22 candidate indicators, with their coefficient of variation ranging from 6% to 80%. The entropy method was used to assign weights to the selected indices, with biomechanical factors contributing 47.4%, peduncle morphology 20.2%, spike morphology 27.6%, and plant height 4.8%. The Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) and Rank-Sum Ratio (RSR) methods were applied to rank and grade the classification of the 116 foxtail millet varieties into four performance groups: Excellent (8 varieties), Good (50 varieties), Moderate (51 varieties), and Poor (7 varieties). This study provides a scientific basis for the selection and evaluation of foxtail millet varieties.

Objective: Optimize the extraction process of Platycodon grandiflorum polysaccharides by compound enzyme method, and preliminarily analyze its structure and in vitro antioxidant activity. Methods: Response surface methodology was used to optimize the extraction conditions with the extraction rate of polysaccharides as the index and the addition amount of enzymes, solid-liquid ratio, enzymolysis time and enzymolysis temperature as the factors. The molecular weight and monosaccharide composition of purified polysaccharides were analyzed by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), the glycosidic bonds and surface morphology of purified polysaccharides were analyzed by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), respectively, and the free radical scavenging ability and reducing power of purified polysaccharides were evaluated. Results: The optimum extraction conditions were as follows, the addition of cellulase, pectinase and papain was 2%, the enzymolysis time was 90 min, the solid-liquid ratio was 1:30 g/mL, the enzymolysis temperature was 50 ℃. Under these conditions, the actual extraction rate of polysaccharides was 9.01%±0.07%, and the purity of polysaccharides was 92%±0.76%. The purified polysaccharides component PGP-W-1 (6.2 kDa) was composed of mannose, rhamnose, glucose, galactose, xylose, and arabinose with a molar ratio of 4.9:4.3:7.9:7.8:4.8:18.6. NMR spectrum showed that PGP-W-1 was pyranose ring with α- and β-glycoside bond. The IC50 values of the PGP-W-1 on DPPH free radicals, ABTS+ free radicals and hydroxyl free radicals were 2.14, 2.25, and 0.78 mg/mL, respectively. Conclusion: The optimized extraction process of Platycodon grandiflorum polysaccharide was feasible with high extraction efficiency and showed excellent antioxidant activity in vitro.

Abstract The failure mechanisms caused by electrostatic discharge (ESD) effects at ambient temperatures ranging from −75 to 125°C are investigated by Silvaco TCAD simulator. The devices are NMOS transistors fabricated with 28 nm fully depleted silicon‐on‐insulator (FDSOI) technology. Results indicate that with an increase in temperature, the first breakdown voltage of the device decreased by 27.32%, while the holding voltage decreased by approximately 8.49%. The total current density, lattice temperature, potential, and so forth were extracted for a detailed insight into the failure process. These findings provide valuable references for the design and development of ESD protection devices applied at different temperature ranges.

To determine the patterns and influencing factors of the mechanical properties of millet stems from different varieties during the maturity period, this study employed a complete block experiment method and conducted shearing and bending tests on millet stems using the INSTRON5544 electronic universal material testing machine. The research investigated the variation in the shear strength, specific shear energy, bending strength, elastic modulus, and bending stiffness at different internode positions of the stems of Changza 466, Zhangza 16, and Jingu 21 during their maturity period. The results indicated that the variety had a significant impact on the mechanical properties of millet stems: from largest to smallest, the order of shear and bending forces was Jingu 21, Zhangza 16, and Changza 466. The shear strength and bending strength of Jingu 21 were the greatest among the three stem samples. The internode position significantly affected the shear mechanical properties of the millet stems, showing a general trend of decreasing shear strength with ascending internode position. The effect of the internode position on the bending stiffness was highly significant, whereas its impact on the bending strength and elastic modulus was not significant. The shear strength of the millet stems ranged from 3.866 ± 1.086 to 6.953 ± 2.208 MPa, significantly lower than the bending strength, which ranged from 18.934 ± 4.374 to 34.286 ± 6.875 MPa. The lowest shear strength and specific shearing energy, recorded at the fifth internode, were 4.028 ± 1.918 MPa and 15.097 ± 12.633 MJ/mm2, respectively. Jingu 21 and Changza 466 exhibit better lodging resistance than Zhangza 16. It is recommended to use a cutting-type platform for harvesting millet stems, with the cutting height set at the fifth internode position. This study provides a theoretical basis for the design of millet harvesting machinery and the selection of harvest parameters.

Human infection with Curvularia lunata (C. lunata) is exceptionally rare. A 23-year-old female patient contracted both bacterial and Curvularia lunata infections during influenza A virus infection. Multiple etiological tests were performed repeatedly during hospitalization due to fluctuations in condition. On the 17th day after hospital admission, mold hyphae were discovered in the pathogen culture of the patient’s bronchoalveolar lavage fluid during one of these examinations. The patient was suspected to have a filamentous fungal infection. Consequently, we further obtained sputum samples for fungal culture, which confirmed the diagnosis of Curvularia infection. The patient, in this case, was in a critical condition, experiencing complications of lung abscess, pneumothorax, sepsis, and multiorgan failure. Despite prompt initiation of antifungal therapy including amphotericin B cholesteryl sulfate complex and isavuconazole upon detection of the fungal infection and concurrent administration of active organ function support treatment, the patient’s condition rapidly deteriorated due to compromised immune function. Ultimately, on the 27th day of treatment, the patient succumbed to septic shock and multiple organ dysfunction syndrome. This is the first case of Curvularia lunata infection in our hospital. In this paper, we aim to raise awareness of Curvularia lunata infection and to emphasize that the possibility of this fungal infection should be considered in patients with severe pneumonia caused by influenza A virus and that empirical antifungal therapy should be given promptly when the patient has invasive lung damage.

ObjectiveTo investigate the clinical variables that might predict the outcome of developmental and epileptic encephalopathy (DEE) after vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) therapy and identify the risk factors for poor long-term outcome.Patients and methodsWe retrospectively studied 32 consecutive children with drug-resistant DEE who had undergone VNS surgery from April 2019 to July 2021, which were not suitable for corpus callosotomy. In spite of combining valproic acid, levetiracetam, lamotrigine, topiramate, etc. (standard anti-seizure medicine available in China) it has not been possible to effectively reduce seizures in the population we investigate (Cannabidiol and brivaracetam were not available in China). A responder was defined as a frequency reduction decrease > 50%. Seizure freedom was defined as freedom from seizures for at least 6 months. Sex, electroencephalograph (EEG) group, neurodevelopment, time lag, gene mutation, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and epilepsy syndrome were analyzed with Fisher's exact test, The age at onset and age at VNS therapy were analyzed with Kruskal-Wallis test, statistical significance was defined as p < 0.05. And used the effect size to correction.ResultsAmong the 32 patients, the median age at VNS implantation was 4.7 years (range: 1–12 years). At the most recent follow-up, five children (15.6%) were seizure-free and 22 (68.8%) were responders. Univariate analysis demonstrated that the responders were significantly associated with mild development delay/intellectual disability (p = 0.044; phi coefficient = 0.357) and a multifocal EEG pattern (p = 0.022; phi coefficient = −0.405). Kaplan-Meier survival analyses demonstrated that a multifocal EEG pattern (p = 0.049) and DEE without epileptic spasm (ES) (p = 0.012) were statistically significant (p = 0.030). Multivariate analysis demonstrated that DEE with ES had significant predictive value for poor long-term outcome (p = 0.014, hazard ratio = 5.433, confidence interval = 1.402–21.058).ConclusionsOur study suggested that VNS was a generally effective adjunct treatment for DEE. Although the predictive factors for VNS efficacy remain unclear, it should be emphasized that patients with ES are not suitable candidates for epilepsy surgery. Further investigations are needed to validate the present results.

In this paper, a compound sliding mode velocity control scheme with a new exponential reaching law (NERL) with thrust ripple observation strategy is proposed to obtain a high performance velocity loop of the linear permanent magnet synchronous motor (LPMSM) control system. A sliding mode velocity controller based on NERL is firstly discussed to restrain chattering of the conventional exponential reaching law (CERL). Furthermore, the unavoidable thrust ripple caused by the special structure of linear motor will bring about velocity fluctuation and reduced control performance. Thus, a thrust ripple compensation strategy on the basis of extend Kalman filter (EKF) theory is proposed. The estimated thrust ripple will be introduced into the sliding mode velocity controller to optimize the control accuracy and robustness. The effectiveness of the proposal is validated with experimental results.

Several cases such as myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPN) with the coexistence of JAK2 and BCR-ABL have been reported. However, cases of transformation of essential thrombocythemia (ET) into chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) during the disease progression were rarely reported. Here, we report the case of a patient with JAK2 V617F- positive ET who subsequently acquired BCR–ABL1, which transformed the disease into CML after 10 years from the initial diagnosis. In this study, we dynamically monitored JAK2 V617F and BCR-ABL and observed multiple gene mutations, including IDH2, IDH1, ASXL1, KRAS, and RUNX1. It is important to be aware of this potentially clone evolution in disease progression.

The tubular roof prefabricated (TPR) structures consist of steel tubular roof and reinforced concrete. To make full use of tubular roof materials in the structures, the TPR structure is innovated by replacing stirrups with tie bars. This paper performed tests on two specimens with transverse reinforcement ratio as parameter to investigate the shear behavior of new TRP structure members. The results show that the number of transverse reinforcement influences the members’ failure model and shear-bearing capacity. Three-dimensional finite element (FE) models were developed to simulate the shear behavior of new TRP members, and the FE results were in good agreement with the experimental results in the tests. Based on this model, the sensitivity of different factors on the shear performance of new TRP members were analyzed. The main influencing factors were determined, and the suitability of the shear capacity calculation formulas in different codes for new TRP structure members is verified.

The Hidden Markov Model (HMM) is a crucial probabilistic modeling technique for sequence data processing and statistical learning that has been extensively utilized in various engineering applications. Traditionally, the EM algorithm is employed to fit HMMs, but currently, academics and professionals exhibit augmenting enthusiasm in Bayesian inference. In the Bayesian context, Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) methods are commonly used for inferring HMMs, but they can be computationally demanding for high-dimensional covariate data. As a rapid substitute, variational approximation has become a noteworthy and effective approximate inference approach, particularly in recent years, for representation learning in deep generative models. However, there has been limited exploration of variational inference for HMMs with high-dimensional covariates. In this article, we develop a mean-field Variational Bayesian method with the double-exponential shrinkage prior to fit high-dimensional HMMs whose hidden states are of discrete types. The proposed method offers the advantage of fitting the model and investigating specific factors that impact the response variable changes simultaneously. In addition, since the proposed method is based on the Variational Bayesian framework, the proposed method can avoid huge memory and intensive computational cost typical of traditional Bayesian methods. In the simulation studies, we demonstrate that the proposed method can quickly and accurately estimate the posterior distributions of the parameters with good performance. We analyzed the Beijing Multi-Site Air-Quality data and predicted the PM2.5 values via the fitted HMMs.

In order to suppress the problems of chattering, harmonic and three phase electromotive force unbalance of sliding mode observer in the sensorless control of permanent magnet linear synchronous motor, an improved sliding mode observer is studied in this paper. These negative disadvantages can be addressed by adaptive complex coefficient filters with band pass and positive and negative sequence frequency selection characteristics. Therefore, the low pass filter of traditional sliding mode observer is replaced by adaptive complex coefficient filter in this paper.Meanwhile, the nonlinear saturation function is used instead of the symbolic function to reduce the chattering of the sliding mode observer. The experimental results show that the presented algorithm can improve the speed and position observation accuracy of the sliding mode observer.

Objective: To investigate the protective effects of 6′′′-feruloylspinosinon Aβ1-42-induced SH-SY5Y cells injury. Methods: SH-SY5Y cells were pretreated with 6′′′-feruloylspinosin (1、5、10、20 and 40 μmol/L) for 2 h and then co-treated with 5 μmol/L of Aβ1-42 for 24 h. Cell viability was measured by CCK-8 assay; cell morphology was observed by Calcein-AM/PI assay; intracellular reactive oxygen species, malonic dialdehyde level, Glutathione peroxidaseactivity and mitochondrial membrane potential level were detected by the kit; expression of apoptosis-related proteins: Bcl-xL/Bcl-2 associated death promoter, B-cell lymphoma/leukemia-2 were detected by Western Blotting. Results: 6′′′-feruloylspinosin could inhibit Aβ1-42-induced apoptosis and improve cell viability (P

The combined application of multiple natural polyphenols in functional foods may provide better health benefits. The binding of polyphenols with different structures to proteins will affect their respective functions. Spectroscopy and molecular docking were used to investigate the competitive binding of chlorogenic acid (CGA)/caffeic acid (CA) and gallic acid (GA) to trypsin. The effects of different molecular structures and the order of adding the three phenolic acids on the binding were assessed. The stability of trypsin and its docked complexes with CGA/CA/GA was evaluated by molecular dynamics simulation. The effects of the binding process on the activity and thermal stability of trypsin, as well as on the antioxidant activity and stability of CGA/CA/GA were explored. The competitive binding of CGA/CA and GA to trypsin affected their synergistic antioxidant effects. The results may provide a reference for the combined application of CGA/CA and GA in food and pharmaceutical fields.

Water is one of the important factors affecting pork quality. In this study, near-infrared (NIR) spatially resolved (SR) spectroscopy was used to detect the water content of pork. The SR spectra of 150 pork samples were collected within the light source–detector (LS-D) distance range of 4–20 mm (distance interval 1 mm). Models were established based on single-point SR spectra of 17 different LS-D distances and combination SR spectra. The results indicated that combination SR spectra achieved better model performance than the single-point SR spectra, and the LS-D distance significantly affected the model accuracy. The optimal LS-D distance combination of 5, 7, 10, and 12 mm provided the best detection model with the calibration determination coefficient (R2C) of 0.915 and prediction determination coefficient (R2P) of 0.878. Using the competitive adaptive reweighted sampling (CARS) algorithm, 24 characteristic wavelengths were selected. The model built with the characteristic wavelengths also exhibited good detection accuracy, with a R2C of 0.909 and a R2P of 0.867, and the number of wavelengths was greatly reduced compared to the full-wavelength model. This study demonstrated that SR spectroscopy combined with the optimized LS-D distances and screened characteristic wavelengths can be a powerful tool for detecting the water content of pork.

Objetivo: Discuta el impacto del entrenamiento ejercicio basado en la actividad en la lesión de la médula espinal en la función de movimiento de los niños y la capacidad de caminar. Materials y métodos: Según China Zhiwang, Wanfang, VIP, PubMed, Science Network y otros documentos relacionados como fuente de datos. Dos revisores usan calidad de evaluación manual de Cochrane. Resultados: Un total de 11 estudios cumplen con las condiciones. Solo hay un estudio que cumple con los proyectos estándar de ABLT. General, ABLT mejora significativamente la función de los niños con lesiones de la médula espinal, aumenta la velocidad y la distancia de caminar y mejora la capacidad de la vida diaria. Conclusión: La estrategia ABLT es de gran importancia para la función de movimiento de los niños de la médula espinal y la capacidad de caminar. En la actualidad, ABLT tiene menos investigación en lesión pediátrica de la médula espinal. Es necesario mostrar la cantidad de muestra y controlar la investigación para mejorar las pautas del plan ABLT para el daño de la médula espinal a los niños.

Introduction: Luscan-Lumish syndrome (LLS) is currently recognized as a rarely-observed condition featured with overgrowth, macrocephaly, obesity, type I Chiari malformation, and linguistic retardation. So far, there have been only a few LLS cases registered worldwide, but with none of them reported from China. To acquire a deeper understanding on the clinical and genetic features of this disease, a Chinese boy with LLS caused by a heterozygous variant in SETD2 gene was investigated in the present study.Methods: The patient was clinically examined and the medical history of his family was collected. Genetic testing was performed to determine the genetic etiology.Results: The proband was a boy aged 5-year-7-month-old, who was referred to our hospital due to “being a slow learner in kindergarten”. The child had a history of delayed motor and language development in comparison to his peers. After admission, physical examination revealed tall stature and macrocephaly as the major manifestation, in addition to a relatively lower rating in intelligence assessment as well as abnormal MRI images showing a slightly shorter corpus callosum accompanied by a mildly thinner corpus callosum body. Whole exome sequencing (WES) revealed a heterozygous c.2514_2516delTAG (p.Ser838del) variant in SETD2 gene, which was subsequently identified as a novel de novo variant. According to the standardized genetic variant classification published by the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics (ACMG), the variant, with a pathogenicity analysis result indicating PS2 + PM2_Supporting + PM4, was determined to be likely pathogenic. Through literature review, the clinical phenotypes of the 15 LLS cases were summarized, including 8 cases of overgrowth (53%), 13 cases of macrocephaly (87%), 11 cases of developmental delay (73%), 8 cases of autism (53%), and 7 cases of special facial features (47%). Besides, abnormal craniocerebral MRI findings were noticed in 7 cases. Despite that the mutation sites of the 15 patients varied from case to case, they showed a uniformly distributed pattern throughout the whole SETD2 gene, including 5 missense mutations, 5 frameshift mutations and 5 non-sense mutations.Conclusion: LLS, not having been recognized till recent years, is identified as an autosomal dominant syndrome triggered by SETD2 gene mutation. As the first report of LLS in China, the case in our study was proved to be associated with a unique type of SETD2 gene mutation that has never been reported previously, which is believed to enrich the mutation spectrum of SETD2 gene and also, deepening the clinicians’ understanding on the disease.

Abstract Background The ecosystem classification of land (ECL) has been studied for a couple of decades, from the beginning of the perfect organism system “top-down” approach to a reversed “bottom-up” approach by defining a micro-ecological unit. After comparing two cases of the ecosystem classification framework implemented in the different continental ecoregions, the processes were carefully examined and justified. Results Theoretically, Bailey’s upper levels of ECL (Description of the ecoregions of the United States, 2nd ed. Rev and expanded (1st ed. 1980). Misc. Publ. No. 1391 (Rev). Washington DC USDA Forest Service; 1995) were applied to the United States and world continents. For the first time, a complete ECL study was accomplished in Western Utah of the United States, with eight upper levels of ECOMAP (National hierarchical framework of ecological units. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Washington, DC. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/237419014_National_hierarchical_framework_of_ecological_units ; 1993) plus additional ecological site and vegetation stand. China’s Eco-geographic classification was most likely fitted into Bailey’s Ecosystem Classification upper-level regime. With a binary decision tree analysis, it had been validated that the Domains have an empty entity for 500 Plateau Domain between the US and China ecoregion framework. Implementing lower levels of ECL to Qinghai Province of China, based on the biogeoclimatic condition, vegetation distribution, landform, and plant species feature, it had classified the Section HIIC1 into two Subsections (labeled as i, ii), and delineated iia of QiLian Mountain East Alpine Shrub and Alpine Tundra Ecozone into iia-1 and iia-2 Subzones. Coordinately, an Ecological Site was completed at the bottom level. Conclusions (1) It was more experimental processing by implementing a full ECL in the Western Utah of the United States based on the ECOMAP (1993). (2) The empty entity, named as Plateau Domain 500, should be added into the top-level Bailey’s ecoregion framework. Coordinately, it includes the Divisions of HI and HII and the Provinces of humid, sub-humid, semiarid, and arid for China's Eco-Geographic region. (3) Implementing a full ECL in a different continent and integrating the lower level's models was the process that could handle the execution management, interpreting the relationship of ecosystem, dataset conversion, and error correction.

Platycodonis Radix (PR), a widely consumed herbal food, and its bioactive constituents, platycodins, have therapeutic potential for lung inflammation. Transient Receptor Potential Ankyrin 1 (TRPA1), which is essential for the control of inflammation, may be involved in the development of inflammation in the lungs. The aim of this study was to determine the TRPA1-targeted effects of PR against pulmonary inflammation and to investigate the affinity of PR constituents for TRPA1 and their potential mechanisms of action. Using a C57BL/6J mouse lipopolysaccharides (LPS) intratracheal instillation pneumonia model and advanced analytical techniques (UPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS, molecular docking, immuno-fluorescence), five platycodins were isolated from PR, and the interaction between these platycodins and hTRPA1 was verified. Additionally, we analyzed the impact of platycodins on LPS-induced TRPA1 expression and calcium influx in BEAS-2B cells. The results indicated that PR treatment significantly reduced the severity of LPS-triggered inflammation in the mouse model. Interestingly, there was a mild increase in the expression of TRPA1 caused by PR in healthy mice. Among five isolated platycodins identified in the PR extract, Platycodin D3 (PD3) showed the highest affinity for hTRPA1. The interaction between platycodins and TRPA1 was verified through molecular docking methods, highlighting the significance of the S5–S6 pore-forming loop in TRPA1 and the unique structural attributes of platycodins. Furthermore, PD3 significantly reduced LPS-induced TRPA1 expression and calcium ion influx in BEAS-2B cells, substantiating its own role as an effective TRPA1 modulator. In conclusion, PR and platycodins, especially PD3, show promise as potential lung inflammation therapeutics. Further research should explore the precise mechanisms by which platycodins modulate TRPA1 and their broader therapeutic potential.

Finite control set model predictive torque control (FCS-MPTC) has become increasingly prevalent for induction motors (IM) owing to its simple concept, easy incorporation of constraints and strong flexibility. In traditional FCS-MPTC speed controller design, a classical proportional integral (PI) controller is typically chosen to generate the torque reference. However, the PI controller is dependent on system parameters and sensitive to the load torque variation, which seriously affects control performance. In this paper, a model predictive torque control using sliding mode control (MPTC + SMC) for IM is proposed to enhance the robust performance of the drive system. First, the influence of the parameter mismatches for FCS-MPTC is analyzed. Second, the shortcomings of traditional PI controller are derived. Then, the proposed MPTC + SMC method is designed, and the MPTC + PI and MPTC + SMC are compared theoretically. Finally, experimental results demonstrate the correctness and effectiveness of the proposed MPTC + SMC. In comparison with MPTC + PI, MPTC + SMC has the better dynamic performance and stronger robust performance against parameter variations and load disturbance.

A rapid filtration test method that predicts malt filtration efficiency has been developed in this research. This rapid filtration test method has an advantage over existing beer filtration tests, as it can be easily operated and there is no need to brew. Six kinds of malts with distinct filtration performance were selected, and the filtration performance was determined by measuring the turbidity of their clarified wort through simple simulation of mashing. The results indicate the filtering performance ranking as given: Copeland > Pearl malt 1 > Pearl malt 2 > Synergy > Planet > Wheat malt. When a sample is purchased for six times of parallelization, RSD is less than 10%, and the experimental results are significantly correlated with viscosity and β-glucan content. Therefore, this method can effectively predict the filtration performance of malt. The response surface design 3 × 3 factor experiment was used to optimize the fast detection method, which increased the sample differentiation (F-value) and made it easier to judge the experimental results. Response surface experiment results show the optimal reaction conditions for enhancing differentiation, i.e., an enzyme ratio of 0.5 (α-amylase, β-glucanase, neutral protease = 1:2:1), a holding period of 38 min, and a reaction temperature of 44 °C. The F-value is 147.00.

Multi-core fibers have been widely used for vector-bending sensing due to their off-axis distributed cores. In contrast to vector-bending sensors based on Bragg gratings, fiber Fabry–Perot (F–P) interferometers are more advantageous due to their ease of fabrication and potential for introducing the Vernier effect to further improve sensitivity. We propose and experimentally demonstrate a cascaded Fabry–Perot (F–P) cavity vector bending sensor. From the experimental results, the sensor has a strong bending dependence with a maximum sensitivity of 123.12 pm/m−1, and the curvature magnitude and direction can be reconstructed from the tilted wavelength shift of the asymmetric fiber-core F–P cavities.

The settlement (or subsidence) of mine waste dump is likely to cause landslides, thereby imposing threats on the safety of human beings and other local properties. Hence, it is essential to accurately predict the settlement for the early-warning of settlement-induced geohazards. Traditional mechanical methods require in situ mechanical parameters and the geological structure of mine waste dump, narrowing their practical applications. In this paper, we proposed a remote sensing-based method for predicting the settlement of mine waste dump without the requirement for field observations. Firstly, the historical settlement and thickness of mine waste dump were measured by space-borne interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR) and photogrammetry techniques, respectively. Secondly, the temporal evolution of the settlement of mine waste dump was described by a secondary consolidation model. Thirdly, the parameters of the secondary consolidation model were inverted based on the InSAR-measured historical settlements and photogrammetry-estimated thickness. Finally, the evolution trend of the settlement of the mine waste dump was predicted with the secondary consolidation model and its inverted parameters. The proposed method was tested over a mine waste dump in Weijiamao open-pit mine, China. The result shows that the root mean square error of the predicted time-series settlement is about 0.8 cm. The presented method will be beneficial to the assessment and early-warning of the settlement-related geohazards of mine waste dumps over a large area.

Introduction Cardiac rehabilitation (CR) is a critical treatment for patients with coronary heart disease after percutaneous coronary intervention. Unfortunately, participation and adherence of CR are unexpectedly poor. This study aims to test whether low-intensity or medium-intensity brisk walking is more helpful in improving early attendance, adherence and physical results.Methods and analysis This randomised controlled study will compare the effects of low-intensity and medium-intensity brisk walking to improve adherence and cardiopulmonary endurance. Participants will be randomly allocated to low-intensity or medium-intensity groups and will be followed-up for 8 weeks. Primary and secondary outcome data will be collected at baseline and at 2, 4 and 8 weeks. Primary outcomes measure changes in oxygen consumption (VO2) peak value (mL/kg/min), as well as adherence. Secondary outcomes include changes in body mass index, oxygen pulse, maximal metabolic equivalent, breathing reserve, vital capacity, ratio of forced expiratory volume in 1 s to forced vital capacity, Δoxygen consumption/Δwork rate (ΔVO2/ΔWR), minute ventilation/carbon dioxide production and self-efficacy.Ethics and dissemination Ethical approval and informed consent form have been obtained from the Ethics Committee of Hebei General Hospital (approval number: NA-2021–03). The study background and main objective, as well as potential benefits and risks, will be fully explained to the participants and their families. Findings from this study will be published on academic journals in Chinese or in English for widespread dissemination of the resultsTrial registration number ChiCTR2100047568.

Abstract In recent days, deep learning technologies have achieved tremendous success in computer vision-related tasks with the help of large-scale annotated dataset. Obtaining such dataset for medical image analysis is very challenging. Working with the limited dataset and small amount of annotated samples makes it difficult to develop a robust automated disease diagnosis model. We propose a novel approach to generate synthetic medical images using generative adversarial networks (GANs). Our proposed model can create brain PET images for three different stages of Alzheimer’s disease—normal control (NC), mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and Alzheimer’s disease (AD).

The parameters of rockfill materials are important factors that influence the stability of high rockfill embankment. However, the influencing laws of parameter changes on the deformation of high rockfill embankments still remain unknown. To deepen understanding on the influencing laws of parameters of rockfill materials on the stability of high rockfill embankment, a case study using an orthogonal test and numerical simulation was conducted on the high rockfill embankment with 50.6 m banking in the secondary road reconstruction project of the national highway 316 from Xunyang to Ankang in the Shaanxi Province of China. The influences of elasticity modulus, dry density, Poisson's ratio, frictional angle, and cohesion on the stability of high rockfill embankment were analyzed. A three-dimensional numerical model of high rockfill embankment was constructed using FLAC3D, and a numerical simulation of the embankment deformation was performed using the maximum settlement of embankment as the evaluation index. The influences of different factors on the deformation of high rockfill embankment were evaluated through a numerical simulation based on the orthogonal test to verify the accuracy of the orthogonal test. In addition, the deformation law of high rockfill embankment was examined. Research results demonstrate that dry density predominantly influences the stability of high rockfill embankment, followed by elasticity modulus, Poisson's ratio, cohesion, and frictional angle. The optimal combination of parameters of rockfill materials was concluded from further analysis. The numerical simulation and orthogonal test results are consistent. The top surface of the high rockfill embankment develops settlement deformation during the construction period, accompanied by outward lateral squeezing trend at the foot of slope. The vertical deformation consists of settlement first and then upheaval. Research conclusions can provide some references for the reasonable selection of rockfill materials for embankment and the stability analysis of high rockfill embankment.

Abstract We asked when and how mobile phones are represented in Vogue (US) and L’Officiel (FR) between 1993 and 2017, and in what sense their presence in such magazines can be understood as making them into fashion items. The question is warranted since these magazines act as critical gatekeepers to fashion, at the same time as it has been argued that the latter is spreading its influence from clothes to other objects. We study the occurrence, changing styles and visual aesthetics of phones through a quantitative and a qualitative analysis. The former shows mobile phones did appear in the magazines, indicating that the important gatekeepers allow these devices to enter the fashion world. The qualitative analysis reveals that the aesthetic representation of mobile phones both conforms to and diverges from how garments are aestheticized in these magazines. The overall picture is one of a fluctuating and heterogeneous relation, with intermittent and temporary interactions between fashion gatekeeping and the digital devices. When carefully studying the interest in displaying the digital objects in these magazines we see a rather limited influence and not a trend.

In this paper, we propose deep learning assisted detection for index modulation millimeter wave (mmWave) systems, where we train a neural network (NN) to jointly detect the transmitted data and index information without relying on explicit channel state information (CSI). As a design example, we first employ multi-set space-time shift keying (MS-STSK) combined with beamforming for transmission over the mmWave channel, where the information is conveyed implicitly using the index of the antennas, the dispersion matrix and the M-ary constellation. Then, we analyze our design when MS-STSK transmission is considered in conjunction with beam index modulation (BIM), where the information is also conveyed by the beam index in addition to the MS-STSK information. In contrast to the MS-STSK's conventional maximum likelihood (ML) detector, our learning-assisted detection dispenses with the channel estimation stage. We demonstrate by simulations that the learning assisted detection outperforms the ML-aided detection in the face of channel impairments with low complexity. Furthermore, we show by simulations that ML-aided detection produces an error floor, when the MS-STSK transmission is coupled with BIM, when realistic channel estimation errors are considered. Additionally, we present qualitative discussions on the receiver complexity in terms of its search space as well as the number of computations required.

An insulating shell on the surface of conductive particles is vital for restraining the dielectric loss and leakage current of polymer composites. So as to inhibit the enormous loss and conductivity of pristine nickel (Ni)/poly(vinylidene fluoride)(PVDF) composites but still harvest a high dielectric permittivity (εr) when filler loading approaches or exceeds the percolation threshold (fc), pristine Ni particles were covered by a layer of titanium dioxide (TiO2) shell via a sol–gel approach, and then they were composited with PVDF. The impacts of the TiO2 coating on the dielectric performances of the Ni/PVDF composites were explored as a function of the filler concentration, the shell thickness and frequency. In addition, the dielectric performances were fitted using the Havriliak–Negami (H–N) equation in order to further understand the TiO2 shell’s effect on polarization mechanism in the composites. The Ni@TiO2/PVDF composites exhibit high εr and enhanced breakdown strength (Eb) but remarkably suppressed loss and conductivity when compared with pristine Ni/PVDF because the TiO2 shell can efficiently stop the direct contact between Ni particles thereby suppressing the long–range electron transportation. Further, the dielectric performances can be effectively tuned through finely adjusting the TiO2 shell’ thickness. The resulting Ni@TiO2/PVDF composites with high εr and Eb but low loss show appealing applications in microelectronics and electrical fields.

ABSTRACT The type III secretion (T3S) injectisome is a syringe-like protein-delivery nanomachine widely utilized by Gram-negative bacteria. It can deliver effector proteins directly from bacteria into eukaryotic host cells, which is crucial for the bacterial–host interaction. Intracellular pathogen Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium encodes two sets of T3S injectisomes from Salmonella pathogenicity islands 1 and 2 (SPI-1 and SPI-2), which are critical for its host invasion and intracellular survival, respectively. The inner membrane export gate protein, SctV (InvA in SPI-1 and SsaV in SPI-2), is the largest component of the injectisome and is essential for assembly and function of T3SS. Here, we report the 2.11 Å cryo-EM structure of the SsaV cytoplasmic domain (SsaVC) in the context of a full-length SctV chimera consisting of the transmembrane region of InvA, the linker of SsaV (SsaVL) and SsaVC. The structural analysis shows that SsaVC exists in a semi-open state and SsaVL exhibits two major orientations, implying a highly dynamic process of SsaV for the substrate selection and secretion in a full-length context. A biochemical assay indicates that SsaVL plays an essential role in maintaining the nonameric state of SsaV. This study offers near atomic-level insights into how SsaVC and SsaVL facilitate the assembly and function of SsaV and may lead to the development of potential anti-virulence therapeutics against T3SS-mediated bacterial infection. IMPORTANCE Type III secretion system (T3SS) is a multicomponent nanomachine and a critical virulence factor for a wide range of Gram-negative bacterial pathogens. It can deliver numbers of effectors into the host cell to facilitate the bacterial host infection. Export gate protein SctV, as one of the engines of T3SS, is at the center of T3SS assembly and function. In this study, we show the high-resolution atomic structure of the cytosolic domain of SctV in the nonameric state with variable linker conformations. Our first observation of conformational changes of the linker region of SctV and the semi-open state of the cytosolic domain of SctV in the full-length context further support that the substrate selection and secretion process of SctV is highly dynamic. These findings have important implications for the development of therapeutic strategies targeting SctV to combat T3SS-mediated bacterial infection.

Cu-Ni-Co-Si alloys have been regarded as a candidate for the next-generation integrated circuits. Nevertheless, using the trial and error method to design high-performance copper alloys requires a lot of effort and time. Thus, the material design method based on machine learning is used to accelerate the exploitation of alloys. In this study, a composition-process-property database of Cu-Ni-Co-Si alloys was established, and a new strategy that could simultaneously realize the prediction of properties and the optimization of compositions and process parameters was proposed. Four groups were chosen from 38,880 candidates by the multi-performance screening method; good agreements existed between the prediction and the test. The Cu-2.3Ni-0.7Co-0.7Si alloy had the best performance among the designed alloys, and this alloy was studied in depth. The influence of the dissolution of Co in Ni2Si was analyzed from a novel perspective. Interestingly, the trace amount of Co replacing Ni to form (Ni, Co)2Si increased the phase dissolution temperature dramatically and shortened the coarsening rate. Affected by Co, the over-aging process was slowed down, which broadened the use range of alloys greatly. Therefore, the developed Cu-2.3Ni-0.7Co-0.7Si alloy can prove to be promising materials that meet different working conditions, and its performance was better than C70350 alloy.

This study aimed to examine the specific means and internal processes through which mathematical understanding is achieved by focusing on the process of understanding three new mathematical concepts. For this purpose interviews were conducted with 54 junior high school students. The results revealed that mathematical understanding can be achieved when new concepts are connected to at least two existing concepts within a student’s cognitive structure of. One of these two concepts should be the superordinate concept of the new concept or, more accurately, the superordinate concept that is closest to the new concept. The other concept should be convertible, so that a specific example can be derived by changing or transforming its examples. Moreover, the process of understanding a new concept was found to involve two processes, namely, “going” and “coming.” “Going” refers to the process by which a connection is established between a new concept and its closest superordinate concept. In contrast, “coming” is a process by which a connection is established between an existing convertible concept and a new concept. Therefore the connection leading to understanding should include two types of connections: belonging and transforming. These new findings enrich the literature on mathematical understanding and encourage further exploration. The findings suggest that, in order to help students fully understand new mathematical concepts, teachers should first explain the definition of a given concept to students and subsequently teach them how to create a specific example based on examples of an existing concept.

Corn straw incorporation in soil has been regarded as an environment-friendly approach for straw utilization. However, straw incorporation has been a challenge under a cold and dry climate due to slow decomposition. This field study was to use a novel approach to incorporate corn straw into the soil during the fall season with a plastic film cover in an effort to enhance the straw degradation, soil water use efficiency, and corn growth and yield. Two-year field experiments were conducted in northeast China to investigate the effects of four treatments on soil properties and corn growth: (1) straw incorporation with film cover, (2) straw incorporation only, (3) film cover only, and (4) control. Soils and corn plants were collected during the growing season and analyzed for soil temperature and moisture, straw degradation, corn biomass, grain yield, and water use efficiency. Results indicated that straw incorporation with film cover increased grain yield by 53% as compared to straw incorporation only and by 102% to control. The straw decomposition under film cover was 20% faster, significantly higher than that of the straw incorporation treatment. In all cases, soil water content before planting, corn water uptake, and corn water use efficiency under straw incorporation with film cover were significantly higher than straw incorporation and control. Surface film cover resulted in 10-day earlier corn tasseling in compared to treatments without film cover. This field study demonstrated that straw incorporation with film cover would enhance straw degradation in soil, improve soil properties, and increase corn yield and water use efficiency, which could be potentially used as a sustainable soil management practice in northeast China.

To explore the effect of micronization on the structural, functional, and antioxidant properties of wheat bran, wheat bran with mean particle size (D50) of 46.08, 34.29, 26.51, 26.35, and 26.05 μm were prepared by using an ultrafine pulverizer under different rolling frequencies (0, 6, 9, 12, and 15 times). The main chemical components and structural, functional, and antioxidant properties of the wheat bran were compared and a correlation analysis was conducted. As the D50 of the wheat bran decreased from 46.08 μm to 26.05 μm, the micromorphology exhibited the destruction of the bundle structure, which is formed by starch and fiber, during which the starch particles peeled off, the fiber fragments destructed, and some of the slim fiber fragments attached to the surfaces of the starch granules. According to the X-ray diffraction pattern, part of the crystalline structure was transformed into an amorphous structure and the crystallization index decreased from 13.08% to 3.95%. According to the near-infrared spectrum, more active groups, such as the hydroxyl group, were exposed; however, no new groups were generated. These structural changes accordingly caused changes in the chemical components, functional properties, and antioxidant properties of the wheat bran. Specifically, the protein, total phenols, total flavonoids, and fatty acid content increased by 6.72%, 23.47%, 19.07%, and 172.88%, respectively. The lipase activity, antioxidant activity in vitro (DPPH• scavenging activity, ABTS+• scavenging activity, and ferric reducing antioxidant power), and the water-holding, cholesterol-adsorption, sodium nitrite-adsorption, and cation-exchange capacities, were enhanced to some extent. The oil-holding capacity decreased from 3.01 g/g to 1.32 g/g. The swelling capacity decreased first and then increased and the swelling capacity of the wheat bran with a D50 of 34.29 μm was the lowest (3.62 mL/g). Therefore, the micronization could be used as a pretreatment method to improve the functional and antioxidant properties of wheat bran; however, the optimal particle size of wheat bran is based on the function of the product.

As a chiral piperidine fungicide, fenpropidin has been widely used to control plant diseases. However, there are rare studies that have investigated fenpropidin at the enantiomer level. In this study, the single-factor analysis combined with a Box-Behnken design was used to obtain the optimal enantio-separation parameters of the fenpropidin enantiomers on ultra-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. The absolute configuration of two fenpropidin enantiomers was confirmed for the first time using electron circular dichroism and optical activity. On the Lux cellulose-3 column, S-(-)-fenpropidin flowed out before R-(+)-fenpropidin. The enantio-separation mechanism was revealed by molecular docking. A modified QuEChERS method was developed for the trace determination of the fenpropidin enantiomers in seven food and environmental substrates. The average recoveries were 71.5–106.1% with the intra-day and inter-day relative standard deviations of 0.3–8.9% and 0.5–8.0%. The method was successfully verified by enantioselective dissipation of fenpropidin in soil under the field. R-(+)-fenpropidin dissipated faster than S-(-)-fenpropidin, and the half-lives were 19.8 d and 22.4 d. This study established a brand-new effective chiral analysis method for the fenpropidin enantiomers, providing a basis for accurate residue monitoring and the risk assessment of fenpropidin.

Background: To identify distinct trajectories of body mass index (BMI) in a large sample of Chinese children by urban-rural and sex disparities.Methods: Data for this study were obtained from the National Surveys on Chinese Students' Constitution and Health among 16,060 children aged 6–11 years. Weight and height data were used to calculate BMI. Group-based trajectory modeling (GBTM) was used to identify distinct BMI trajectories.Results: Seven distinct trajectories were identified, “sustained healthy weight” (46.01%), “sustained obesity” (17.26%), “sustained underweight” (4.50%), “obesity to overweight” (6.45%), “obesity to healthy weight” (11.75%), “healthy weight to overweight” (8.67%), and “healthy weight to obesity” (5.36%). The proportions of “sustained obesity,” “healthy weight to obesity,” and “healthy weight to overweight” trajectories were much higher among boys compared with girls (P < 0.001). Meanwhile, children living in rural areas were more represented in the “healthy weight to obesity” trajectory (P < 0.001).Conclusion: In this study, the proportions of BMI development trajectories among 6–11-year-old children varied by sex and urban-rural areas, which may require tailored interventions specifically toward these at-risk trajectories.

Sensorless control of AC motor drives, which takes the advantages of cost saving, higher reliability, and less hardware, has been developed for several decades. Among the existing speed sensorless control methods, nonlinear Kalman filter-based one has attached widespread attention due to its superb estimation accuracy and inherent resistibility to noise. However, the determination of noise covariance matrix and robustness of model uncertainties are still open issues in practice. A great number of studies try to solve these problems in resent years. This paper reviews the application of extended Kalman filter (EKF), unscented Kalman filter (UKF), and cubature Kalman filter (CKF) in speed sensorless control for AC motor drives. As an iterative algorithm, EKF has advantages in processor implementation. However, EKF suffers from the linearization error and model uncertainties when applying to sensorless control system. This paper presents the predominant improvements of EKF which is also applicative in UKF and CKF mostly.

Papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) is the most common malignant tumor of endocrine systems. Chromosomal instability (CIN) is crucial to the clinical prognoses of tumor patients. DNA methylation plays an important role in the regulation of gene expression and CIN. Based on PTC samples from The Cancer Genome Atlas database, we used multiple regression analyses to identify methylation patterns of CpG sites with the strongest correlation with gene expression. A total of 4,997 genes were obtained through combining the CpG sites, which were represented as featured DNA methylation patterns. In order to identify CIN-related epigenetic markers of PTC survival, we developed a method to characterize CIN based on DNA methylation patterns of genes using the Student’s t statistics. We found that 1,239 genes were highly associated with CIN. With the use of the log-rank test, univariate Cox regression analyses, and the Kaplan-Meier method, DNA methylation patterns of UBAC2 and ELOVL2, highly correlated with CIN, provided potential prognostic values for PTC. The higher these two genes, risk scores were correlated with worse PTC patient prognoses. Moreover, the ELOVL2 risk score was significantly different in the four stages of PTC, suggesting that it was related to the progress of PTC. The DNA methylation pattern associated with CIN may therefore be a good predictor of PTC survival. Keywords: papillary thyroid carcinoma, chromosomal instability, DNA methylation, gene expression, prognosis

Many real world applications have problems with high dimensionality, which existing algorithms cannot overcome. A critical data preprocessing problem is feature selection, whereby its non-scalability negatively influences both the efficiency and performance of big data applications. In this research, we developed a new algorithm to reduce the dimensionality of a problem using graph-based analysis, which retains the physical meaning of the original high-dimensional feature space. Most existing feature-selection methods are based on a strong assumption that features are independent of each other. However, if the feature-selection algorithm does not take into consideration the interdependencies of the feature space, the selected data fail to correctly represent the original data. We developed a new feature-selection method to address this challenge. Our aim in this research was to examine the dependencies between features and select the optimal feature set with respect to the original data structure. Another important factor in our proposed method is that it can perform even in the absence of class labels. This is a more difficult problem that many feature-selection algorithms fail to address. In this case, they only use wrapper techniques that require a learning algorithm to select features. It is important to note that our experimental results indicates, this proposed simple ranking method performs better than other methods, independent of any particular learning algorithm used.

Background: Angiogenesis improves reperfusion to the ischaemic tissue after vascular obstruction. The underlying molecular mechanisms of post-ischaemic angiogenesis are not clear. FAM3A belongs to the family with sequence similarity 3 (FAM3) genes, but its biological function in endothelial cells in regards to vascular diseases is not well understood. Methods: Gain- and loss-of-function methods by adenovirus or associated-adenovirus (AAV) in different models were applied to investigate the effects of FAM3A on endothelial angiogenesis. Endothelial angiogenesis was analysed by tube formation, migration and proliferation in vitro, and the blood flow and capillary density in a hind limb ischaemic model in vivo. Findings: Endothelial FAM3A expression is downregulated under hypoxic conditions. Overexpression of FAM3A promotes, but depletion of FAM3A suppresses, endothelial tube formation, proliferation and migration. Utilizing the mouse hind limb ischaemia model, we also observe that FAM3A overexpression can improve blood perfusion and increase capillary density, whereas FAM3A knockdown has the opposite effects. Mechanistically, mitochondrial FAM3A increases adenosine triphosphate (ATP) production and secretion; ATP binds to P2 receptors and then upregulates cytosolic free Ca2+ levels. Increased intracellular Ca2+ levels enhance phosphorylation of the transcriptional factor cAMP response element binding protein (CREB) and its recruitment to the VEGFA promoter, thus activating VEGFA transcription and the final endothelial angiogenesis. Interpretation: In summary, our data demonstrate that FAM3A positively regulates angiogenesis through activation of VEGFA transcription, suggesting that FAM3A may constitute a novel molecular therapeutic target for ischaemic vascular disease. Keywords: FAM3A, Angiogenesis, CREB, ATP, Transcription, VEGF-A

The scalable video coding extension of H.265/high efficiency video coding is capable of supporting diverse video resolutions. Due to the fact that the enhancement layer (EL) is encoded and decoded with the aid of the base layer (BL), the decodability of ELs is conditioned on that of the BL. Hence, the EL frames occasionally have to be discarded as a result of corrupted BL frames. Therefore, potent unequal error protection schemes have been conceived for providing a stronger protection to the BL by invoking a lower coding rate based forward error correction (FEC) or a higher transmit power for a specific multiple-input multiple-output sub-channel. This stronger protection is essential for the BL for the sake of both avoiding the waste of resources caused by the dropped undecodable EL bits and for improving the reconstructed video quality. In this treatise, we propose an adaptive system for transmitting the layered video bit stream over the wireless channel. The proposed system is capable of selecting an appropriate interlayer (IL) operation-aided FEC (IL-FEC) scheme in order to maintain the robustness of the system by comparing the near-instantaneous signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) to pre-recorded reconfiguration thresholds. Our simulation results show that the proposed adaptive system is capable of providing better video quality over a large proportion of the channel SNR range than its corresponding fixed-mode counterparts.

The transcription factor Pax4 plays an essential role in the development of insulin-producing β cells in pancreatic islets. Ectopic Pax4 expression not only promotes β cell survival but also induces α-to-β cell transdifferentiation. This dual functionality of Pax4 makes it an appealing therapeutic target for the treatment of insulin-deficient type 1 diabetes (T1D). In this study, we demonstrated that Pax4 gene delivery by an adenoviral vector, Ad5.Pax4, improved β cell function of mouse and human islets by promoting islet cell survival and α-to-β cell transdifferentiation, as assessed by multiple viability assays and lineage-tracing analysis. We then explored the therapeutic benefits of Pax4 gene delivery in the context of islet transplantation using T1D mouse models. Both mouse-to-mouse and human-to-mouse islet transplantation, via either kidney capsule or portal vein, were examined. In all settings, Ad5.Pax4-treated donor islets (mouse or human) showed substantially better therapeutic outcomes. These results suggest that Pax4 gene delivery into donor islets may be considered as an adjunct therapy for islet transplantation, which can either improve the therapeutic outcome of islet transplantation using the same amount of donor islets or allow the use of fewer donor islets to achieve normoglycemia.