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Side-scan sonar image target detection is of great significance in seabed resource exploration and other fields. However, affected by the complex underwater environment, side-scan sonar images have the problems of few target samples and large differences in the scale of each type of target. In addition, the computational complexity of high-performance models based on deep learning is too high to be applied on platforms with limited computational resources. To solve these problems, this paper proposes a lightweight algorithm for target detection in side-scan sonar images based on multi-scale feature fusion and attention mechanism (MAL-YOLO). Firstly, a lightweight feature extraction module is used. This module combines depthwise separable convolution and efficient multi-scale attention (EMA) module to improve the feature extraction capability of the model while reducing the computational volume. Secondly, a multi-scale feature fusion network combining asymptotic feature pyramid network and EMA module is used to enhance the fusion and representation of multi-scale features in the model. Finally, the MPDIoU loss function is used to provide more accurate bounding box regression. The experimental results show that the algorithm has significant advantages in both detection accuracy and model lightweighting compared with the current state-of-the-art algorithms such as YOLOv7 and YOLOv8.

BackgroundAlthough previous studies have shown that athletes engaged in endurance sports exhibit unique characteristics of brain plasticity, there has been no systematic investigation into the structural and functional brain characteristics of endurance athletes with varying training levels.MethodsUtilizing the “expert-novice paradigm” design, we employed functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to obtain images of brain structure and functional activity. We compared differences in gray matter volume (GMV), fractional amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations (fALFF), and degree centrality (DC) among high-level endurance athletes, moderate-level endurance athletes, and non-athlete controls.Results(1) High-level endurance athletes exhibited significantly greater GMV in the left parahippocampal gyrus, bilateral thalamus, right temporal lobe, and bilateral cerebellum compared to both moderate-level endurance athletes and controls. The GMV in these regions showed an increasing trend with more years of endurance training and higher endurance capacity. Additionally, these athletes had significantly higher fALFF in the left superior medial frontal gyrus and right precuneus, as well as higher DC in the right lateral occipital lobe compared to moderate-level endurance athletes. They also had significantly higher DC in the right precuneus and cerebellum compared to the control group. (2) Moderate-level endurance athletes demonstrated significantly greater GMV in the right prefrontal cortex, bilateral medial frontal lobe, right temporal pole, right striatum, and bilateral insula compared to high-level endurance athletes. They also had significantly higher fALFF in the left posterior cingulate gyrus compared to high-level endurance athletes. (3) Control group showed significantly greater GMV in the right amygdala, higher fALFF in the left medial frontal lobe, and greater DC in the left lateral occipital lobe compared to moderate-level endurance athletes.ConclusionAdaptive benefits exhibit different characteristics across different endurance levels. High-level endurance athletes exhibit pronounced enhancements in gray matter volume and functional activity in regions associated with memory, motor control, and sensory processing. While moderate-level athletes demonstrate distinct functional reorganization in the default mode network and cerebellum.

The intestine, as a crucial organ of the human body, has remained enigmatic despite the remarkable advancements in modern medical technology. Over the past decades, the invention of endoscopic technology has made the noninvasive intervention of the intestine a reality, expanding diagnostic and therapeutic options for diseases. However, due to the single-treatment feature of endoscopic procedures, continuous or repeated medication administration, sampling, and decompression drainage within the intestine have yet to be fulfilled. These limitations persisted until the invention of colonic transendoscopic enteral tubing (TET) in 2014, which realized repeated fecal microbiota transplantation, medication administration, and decompression drainage for the treatment of colon perforation and intestinal obstruction, as well as in situ dynamic sampling. These breakthroughs have not gone unnoticed, gaining global attention and recommendations from guidelines and consensuses. TET has emerged as a novel microbial research tool that offers new paradigms for human microbiome research. This review aims to update the research progress based on TET.

ABSTRACT Intestinal protozoa Cryptosporidium spp., Giardia duodenalis, and Enterocytozoon bieneusi have been implicated in serious waterborne outbreaks worldwide. Wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) is a promising approach for evaluating the disease prevalence in a catchment population in that it monitors the contamination level of the intestinal pathogens in wastewater. We collected 48 urban wastewater samples (24 from influents and 24 from effluents) from the Yangpu Wastewater Treatment Plant (YPWTP) in Shanghai, China. We identified Cryptosporidium spp., G. duodenalis, and E. bieneusi by nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification. Cryptosporidium hominis and subtype IdA14 were identified in two samples by analyzing the sequences of small subunit ribosomal RNA (SSU rRNA) and 60–kDa glycoprotein (gp60) genes, respectively. The G. duodenalis sub-assemblage AII (n = 8) and assemblage C (n = 4) in 12 samples were determined by analyzing triosephosphate isomerase (tpi) gene sequences. The E. bieneusi genotype A was identified in one sample by analyzing the sequence of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region of the rRNA gene. These findings suggest that improving wastewater treatment and monitoring the virility of pathogens in effluents is critical. We observed similar prevalence and genotypes/subtypes of the three intestinal protozoa in our wastewater samples as those reported in previous studies, providing evidence that WBE can be used as an effective epidemic management tool.IMPORTANCECryptosporidium spp., Giardia duodenalis, and Enterocytozoon bieneusi are common intestinal protozoa causing diarrhea. The infective oocysts, cysts, and spores released in feces can survive in different environments, including multiple types of water bodies. Humans can acquire these intestinal protozoan infections via the fecal-oral route as in waterborne transmission. Wastewater-based epidemiology can rapidly and reliably detect and monitor the emergence and spread of waterborne diseases. We detected Cryptosporidium spp., G. duodenalis, and E. bieneusi in a wastewater treatment plant in Shanghai, China, reflecting the occurrence and genetic characterizations of the three intestinal pathogens from community members served by the wastewater treatment plant.

IntroductionEnterocytozoon bieneusi, an obligatory intracellular fungus, is prevalent among animals and humans. Due to their close interaction with humans and their extensive regional distribution, brown rats (Rattus norvegicus) are important pathogen reservoirs. To assess the zoonotic transmission potential of E. bieneusi, a molecular investigation was conducted on 817 R. norvegicus from four cities in Heilongjiang Province, China.MethodsA total of 817 R. norvegicus were collected from four cities in Heilongjiang Province, China. The genotyping of E. bieneusi was conducted through PCR amplification of the small subunit ribosomal RNA (SSU rRNA)’s internal transcribed spacer (ITS) segments. Phylogenetic and similarity analyses were used to examine zoonotic potential and genetic characteristics of the E. bieneusi-positive specimens.ResultsAmong the 817 R. norvegicus, the total infection rate was 33.3% (272/817). Seventy-five genotypes were identified, including 14 known genotypes D (n = 167), A (n = 15), HLJ-CP1 (n = 12), WR8 (n = 6), EbpC (n = 2), BEB6 (n = 1), CS-4 (n = 1), CHPM1 (n = 1), Henan-II (n = 1), HNH-22 (n = 1), HNH-25 (n = 1), I (n = 1), JLD-XI (n = 1), SDD5 (n = 1), and 61 novel genotypes designated as SHWR1 (n = 10), SYSWR1 (n = 2), and SHWR2 to SHWR17, SYSWR2 to SYSWR36 and QTHWR1 to QTHWR8 (n = 1, each). Moreover, 10 samples exhibited mixed genotype infections, including D + A (n = 3), D + EbpC (n = 1), D + HLJ-CP1 (n = 1), D + SHWR1 (n = 1), D + SHWR16 (n = 1), D + SHWR17 (n = 1), SDD5 + WR8 (n = 1), and CS-4 + SYSWR36 (n = 1). Phylogenetic analysis grouped the genotypes into three main groups: group 1 (n = 67), group 2 (n = 5), and group 9 (n = 3).DiscussionThe high prevalence and genetic diversity of E. bieneusi in Heilongjiang Province’s R. norvegicus imply that these animals spread the pathogen. The R. norvegicus that E. bieneusi carries can spread zoonotic disease, making it a serious hazard to the local human population. Therefore, it is imperative to raise awareness about the dangers posed by R. norvegicus and implement measures to reduce their population to prevent environmental contamination.

Aim: Our research aimed to determine an optimal cutoff value and investigate the prognostic predictive function of Ki-67. Materials & methods: We retrospectively enrolled 1146 patients diagnosed with stage I–II triple-negative breast cancer. Disease-free and overall survival were analyzed using the Kaplan–Meier method and the Cox regression model. Results: We classified Ki-67 >45% as the high group (n = 716). A Ki-67 level of >45% was associated with poorer disease-free survival (p = 0.039) and overall survival (p = 0.029). Lymph node stage, neoadjuvant chemotherapy, and radiotherapy were independent predictive variables of prognosis. Conclusion: Triple-negative breast cancer may be further subcategorized according to the Ki-67 level. Neoadjuvant chemotherapy and postoperative radiotherapy can improve the prognosis of early triple-negative breast cancer.

In order to study the seismic response of liquid storage tank under bidirectional seismic excitation, the 15×104 m3 vertical unanchored liquid storage tank was taken as the object, and numerical analysis on seismic response of vertical unanchored tank was conducted with the finite element software ADINA, considering the contact nonlinear. The whole system was mainly divided into two parts, i.e., the basic isolation components and the liquid-structure interaction subsystem. The structure and liquid region of the tank were simulated with the shell element and potential fluid element respectively, and the three-dimensional isolation was equivalently replaced by a spring-damping system. Subsequently, analysis of uplift response, acceleration time history, liquid sloshing height, wall stress change, base shear and overturning moment was carried out for the liquid storage tank with Bathe integration method. The results show that: under the excitation of El-Centro seismic wave, the tank bottom is uplifted before seismic isolation and the uplift area is in the shape of "crescent", which disappears after seismic isolation. Installing a seismic isolation layer in the liquid storage tank could effectively reduce the dynamic response such as acceleration, wall stress, base shear force and overturning moment. However, liquid sloshing height of the liquid storage tank after seismic isolation increases. The research results could provide reference for the seismic isolation design of liquid storage tank.

In order to study the toxic effects of tetracycline on algae, Selenastrum capricornutum is selected as the test organism. The growing situation, chlorophyll a contents, superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity, malondialdehyde (MDA) content and reactive oxygen species (ROS) level in the cells of Selenastrum capricornutum after 0, 02, 04, 08, 16, 32 mg·L-1 tetracycline exposured are studied by indoor test method. The results show that the tetracycline can strongly inhibit growth of Selenastrum capricornutum and the 50% effective concentration (EC50) is 3.142 mg·L-1 during 96 h exposured. Tetracycline treatment inhibits the content of chlorophyll a in the cells of Selenastrum capricornutum. During 96 h exposure period, with the increase of tetracycline concentrations, the activity of SOD shows a "Bell-shaped" trend, the content of MDA and the level of ROS shows an upward trend. The study indicates that tetracycline can cause oxidative stress and damage the antioxidant system in Selenastrum capricornutum cells. Tetracycline poses a potential risk to aquatic ecosystems.

In order to clarify the biotoxic effects of oxytetracycline wastewater, the toxicity effects of oxytetracycline wastewater on zebrafish are studied by exposure test. The results show that oxytetracycline wastewater is a low toxic substance to zebrafish. The SOD activity and POD activity of zebrafish are differently inhibited at 3~9 d. At 12 d, SOD activity and POD activity are significantly induced (0.01

Time-resolved photoluminescence spectroscopic technology is used for measuring the transient luminescent dynamics in low doped porphyrin side-chain polymer film, poly(porphyrin acrylate-styrene) (P[(por)A-S]). The results have shown that higher interchain comonomer concentration and lower interchain polymer concentration has given rise to the higher luminescence efficiency of the low doped polymer light emitting diodes (LEDs).

Kneading time is adjusted to change the dispersibility of nano-CuO in AP/HTPB (Ammonia Perchlorate/Hydroxyl-Terminated Polybutadiene) composite propellants. Nano-CuO/AP is prepared to serve as the other dispersing method of nano-CuO, named predispersing procedure. Several kinds of heat releasing, thermal decomposition by DSC, combustion heat in oxygen environment, and explosion heat in nitrogen environment, are characterized to learn the effect of dispersibility of nano-CuO catalyst on heat releasing of propellants. With pre-dispersing procedures, thermal decomposition temperature of nano-CuO/AP and its propellant are about 25°C and 8.6°C lower than that of AP simple mixed with nano-CuO and its propellant, respectively. Comparing propellant with simple mixed nano-CuO kneading 3 hours, combustion heat and explosion heat of propellant with nano- CuO/AP increase about 1.4% and 1.7%, respectively. However, because of the breaking of nano-CuO/AP structure during kneading procedure, combustion heat and explosion heat of all the samples are decreased with the increase of kneading time after 3 hours. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]