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Abstract Hashimoto’s thyroiditis (HT) is an autoimmune disease, characterized by abnormal elevation in thyroid peroxidase antibody (TPO-Ab) and/or thyroglobulin antibody (TG-Ab). Patients have multiple symptoms despite adequate hormone substitution. In the present study, we aimed to quantify the relationship between thyroid antibodies and multiple symptoms, inflammation and health-related life quality. A total of 108 HT patients with clinical euthyroid status and 57 heathy controls were recruited. Clinical parameters were determined by laboratory examination, and the symptoms burden and life quality were obtained by a Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis Symptom Questionnaire and a SF-36 Questionnaire, respectively. Compared with healthy controls, multiple extrathyroidal symptoms were significantly more serious in HT patients despite euthyroid status, mainly including that related to digestive system (abdominal distension, constipation and diarrhea), endocrine system (chilliness, gain weight and facial edema), neuropsychiatric system (forgetfulness, anxiety, depressed, fatigue, insomnia, irritability, and indifferent) and mucocutaneous system (dry skin, pruritus, and hair loss). Furthermore, serum TPO-Ab and TG-Ab were both inversely correlated with health-related life quality of general health and vitality parameters, and positively correlated with pro-inflammatory factors of TNF-α and IFN-γ, as well as severity of abdominal distension, diarrhea, chilliness, forgetfulness and fatigue. Moreover, TG-Ab level was positively associated with depressed, insomnia and indifferent. HT patients suffered from a variety of symptoms, and the elevated thyroid antibodies were inversely associated with health-related life quality and positively associated with inflammation and multiple extrathyroidal symptoms.

Abstract A variable flux leakage starter‐generator structure designed for helicopters is proposed. The research focuses on investigating the current distribution mechanism of the d‐q axis to determine the feasibility of incorporating variable flux leakage (FL) in the machine model. By investigating the magnetic circuit models of machines under various operating conditions, we aim to uncover the performance advantages of variable FL starter‐generator for helicopters in different scenarios. Subsequently, a variable flux leakage starter‐generator is designed, and a prototype is implemented successfully. The experimental results validate the accuracy of the theoretical analysis conducted.

Abstract Background Walnut anthracnose caused by Colletotrichum gloeosporioides seriously endangers the yield and quality of walnut, and has now become a catastrophic disease in the walnut industry. Therefore, understanding both pathogen invasion mechanisms and host response processes is crucial to defense against C. gloeosporioides infection. Results Here, we investigated the mechanisms of interaction between walnut fruits (anthracnose-resistant F26 fruit bracts and anthracnose-susceptible F423 fruit bracts) and C. gloeosporioides at three infection time points (24hpi, 48hpi, and 72hpi) using a high-resolution time series dual transcriptomic analysis, characterizing the arms race between walnut and C. gloeosporioides. A total of 20,780 and 6670 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified in walnut and C. gloeosporioides against 24hpi, respectively. Generous DEGs in walnut exhibited opposite expression patterns between F26 and F423, which indicated that different resistant materials exhibited different transcriptional responses to C. gloeosporioides during the infection process. KEGG functional enrichment analysis indicated that F26 displayed a broader response to C. gloeosporioides than F423. Meanwhile, the functional analysis of the C. gloeosporioides transcriptome was conducted and found that PHI, SignalP, CAZy, TCDB genes, the Fungal Zn (2)-Cys (6) binuclear cluster domain (PF00172.19) and the Cytochrome P450 (PF00067.23) were largely prominent in F26 fruit. These results suggested that C. gloeosporioides secreted some type of effector proteins in walnut fruit and appeared a different behavior based on the developmental stage of the walnut. Conclusions Our present results shed light on the arms race process by which C. gloeosporioides attacked host and walnut against pathogen infection, laying the foundation for the green prevention of walnut anthracnose.

Abstract The eukaryotic asparagine (N)-linked glycan is pre-assembled as a fourteen-sugar oligosaccharide on a lipid carrier in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). Seven sugars are first added to dolichol pyrophosphate (PP-Dol) on the cytoplasmic face of the ER, generating Man5GlcNAc2-PP-Dol (M5GN2-PP-Dol). M5GN2-PP-Dol is then flipped across the bilayer into the lumen by an ER translocator. Genetic studies identified Rft1 as the M5GN2-PP-Dol flippase in vivo but are at odds with biochemical data suggesting Rft1 is dispensable for flipping in vitro. Thus, the question of whether Rft1 plays a direct or an indirect role during M5GN2-PP-Dol translocation has been controversial for over two decades. We describe a completely reconstituted in vitro assay for M5GN2-PP-Dol translocation and demonstrate that purified Rft1 catalyzes the translocation of M5GN2-PP-Dol across the lipid bilayer. These data, combined with in vitro results demonstrating substrate selectivity and rft1∆ phenotypes, confirm the molecular identity of Rft1 as the M5GN2-PP-Dol ER flippase.

Water-saving irrigation (WI) is a crucial agricultural management with the benefits to save irrigation water, reduce energy consumption, and suppress methane emissions from paddy lands. Classifying WI practices from traditional flooding irrigation (FI) is a key component in detecting the rice irrigation status, which is significant to estimate the total agriculture-associated greenhouse gas emissions. In this study, we developed an automatic method to map irrigation regimes across Chinese paddy lands. First, we used seven variables related with irrigation facility or vegetation cover as proxy to generate representative WI and FI samples. Besides, we composited 123 features of optical bands and synthetic aperture radar from MODIS and Sentinel-1 data. Then, we trained a random forest model for each province with these samples. Finally, we applied the trained model to generate maps of WI/FI practices at 500 m resolution. Comparisons of the resultant maps with census data indicated highly accurate estimations of the WI area at a city- or province-level, with a R2 higher than 0.92. The overall accuracy of the classification was approximately 0.73, as validated through ground truth samples. Additionally, we also conducted a data quality analysis and confirmed the classification results were reliable in main rice production area of China. With the push towards carbon neutrality goals and the increasing demand for clean management practices, we developed and demonstrated an advanced method to produce near real-time maps of irrigation regimes and provide crucial data support for agricultural emissions reduction and irrigation management decisions.

Study region: Luanhe River Basin in North China Study focus: Global warming exacerbates hydrological cycles, leading to increased intensity and frequency of floods. Regional studies on the impacts of climate change and land cover changes on flood events in recent decades are particularly important for flood prevention and risk assessment. In this study, the Peak Over Threshold- Generalized Pareto Distribution (POT-GPD) method is used to fit extreme runoff values in the Luanhe River Basin from 1961 to 2018 to identify floods with different return periods. Six flood behavior indicators are adopted to analyze the flood characteristics and extreme climate indices are also used for breakpoint testing and trend analysis. Various scenarios are established as the input of the SWAT model to study the impacts of climate change and land-use change on the flood events. New hydrological insights for the region: The results indicate that the 2-year and 20-year return period floods are primarily rapid-rise single-peak floods, dominated by short-duration intense precipitation. The 5-year and 10-year return period floods are mainly multi-peak floods, primarily caused by long-duration precipitation. Floods in the Luanhe River Basin are primarily influenced by climate change, however, flood events do not directly correspond to the return periods of precipitation events. Forest is the most effective land-use type for flood retention. It could reduce flood magnitudes, especially for the 20-year return period floods. However, increasing forest cover does not effectively reduce the occurrence of the 5-year or 10-year floods, i.e. multi-peak floods. With more extreme rainfall events triggered by future climate change, particular attention should be paid to long-duration precipitation events, which may result in more severe disasters and economic losses.

As the inlet temperature of the turbine continues to rise, if only heat conduction and convective heat transfer are considered, the temperature difference between numerical simulation and experimental will become apparent. The overall cooling effectiveness is generally used to evaluate the effect of cooling structures. However, the overall cooling effectiveness of turbine blades is difficult to measure directly due to the high temperature and pressure operating conditions. If the analogy method is established, the measurement of the overall cooling effectiveness of turbine blades under engine conditions can be carried out under experimental conditions. Therefore, it is important to study the analogy method of overall cooling effectiveness under thermal radiation. The analogy method of the overall cooling effectiveness under thermal radiation was established through one-dimensional coupled heat transfer analysis, which proposed to match the radiation term by Burger number and Boltzmann number. The matching characteristics under non-uniform inlet temperature were analyzed using numerical simulation. The results show that the method of matching the radiation term of overall cooling effectiveness is verified by numerical results. The effect of non-uniform inlet temperature on the overall cooling effectiveness matching is strongly correlated with temperature ratio, so the matching of temperature ratio should be prioritized.

Abstract Janus group-III chalcogenide monolayers and based heterostructures with breaking vertical structural symmetry offer additional prospects in the upcoming high-performance photoelectric devices. We studied the geometrical, electronic, and photoelectric properties of Janus group-III chalcogenide monolayers and heterostructures. The most energy favorable stacking design of ten vertical heterostructures are considered. The results showed that the Janus Se-In-Ga-S and S-In-Ga-Se monolayers exhibit semiconducting characteristics with the band gaps of 1.295 eV and 1.752 eV, respectively. Furthermore, the different stacking configurations and surface termination at interface can realize the transition of band alignment between type I and type II due to the interlayer coupling. Moreover, we systematically investigated the photoelectric properties of Janus group-III chalcogenide heterostructures and predicated an optimized power conversion efficiency of 16.2%. These findings can aid in comprehending the customized characteristics of Janus group-III chalcogenide heterostructures, offering theoretical guidance for creating innovative photoelectric devices.

Summary: The study of vocal communication in non-human animals can uncover the roots of human languages. Recent studies of language have focused on two linguistic laws: Zipf’s law and the Menzerath-Altmann law. However, whether bats’ social vocalizations follow these linguistic laws, especially Menzerath’s law, has largely been unexplored. Here, we used Asian particolored bats, Vespertilio sinensis, to examine whether aggressive vocalizations conform to Zipf’s and Menzerath’s laws. Aggressive vocalizations of V. sinensis adhere to Zipf’s law, with the most frequent syllables being the shortest in duration. There was a negative association between the syllable number within a call and the average syllable duration, in agreement with Menzerath’s law. A decrease in the proportion of some long syllables and a decrease in the duration of several syllable types in long-duration calls explain the occurrence of this law. Our results indicate that a general compression principle organizes aspects of bat vocal communication systems.

Bone homeostasis in physiology depends on the balance between bone formation and resorption, and in pathology, this homeostasis is susceptible to disruption by different influences, especially under ageing condition. Gut microbiota has been recognized as a crucial factor in regulating host health. Numerous studies have demonstrated a significant association between gut microbiota and bone metabolism through host-microbiota crosstalk, and gut microbiota is even an important factor in the pathogenesis of bone metabolism-related diseases that cannot be ignored. This review explores the interplay between gut microbiota and bone metabolism, focusing on the roles of gut microbiota in bone ageing and aging-related bone diseases, including osteoporosis, fragility fracture repair, osteoarthritis, and spinal degeneration from different perspectives. The impact of gut microbiota on bone metabolism during aging through modification of endocrinology system, immune system and gut microbiota metabolites are summarized, facilitating a better grasp of the pathogenesis of aging-related bone metabolic diseases. This review offers innovative insights into targeting the gut microbiota for the treatment of bone ageing-related diseases as a clinical therapeutic strategy.

An extremely heavy rainstorm occurred 20:00 on 12 to 20:00 （Beijing Time） on 13 August 2022 in Jinta， Gansu Province， the 24 hours cumulative precipitation and hourly precipitation at Jinta station broke the historical extreme values.Based on the minutely， hourly and daily precipitation observation data， as well as the CMA Multi-source Merged Precipitation Analysis System （CMPAS） hourly precipitation data， the precipitation characteristics and extremity of the torrential rain event were analyzed.The results show that the extremely torrential rain event is characterized by large cumulative precipitation， strong locality， strong short-term precipitation and obvious convection.The main precipitation period is night and the rainstorm center is located in Jinta county， Jiuquan city.There are 11 stations reached the maximum since the station establishment， among which， the maximum appeared in Jinta station， reaching 88 mm， which is the second largest observed of all national stations in Jiuquan city， exceeding 58% of the historical average of the flood season in 62 years （from 1961 to 2022）.There are 13 stations’s hourly precipitation reached the maximum since the station establishment and the maximum hourly precipitation of Jinta station was 56.2 mm， ranking the first among all the stations in Jiuquan， nearly three times of the average rainfall in August in Jinta Station in the past 62 years， showing obvious historical extremes.There are three precipitation periods in Jinta Station， and the heavy precipitation mainly occurs in the second period， with strong minutely precipitation intensity and long duration.The heavy precipitation center first appeared in the southeast of Jinta station， and then moved to the northwest， with the range of heavy precipitation expanding.After three hours， the precipitation intensity weakened and moved out to the southeast， and the precipitation process in the rainstorm area ended.

This paper aims to systematically review and analyze the literature on green shipping, focusing on research trends, key areas, and future directions. A bibliometric analysis is conducted on 1339 articles published between 2000 and 2023, using data from the SCI-EXPANDED and SSCI core collections on the Web of Science platform. Co-occurrence analyses are performed for authors, countries, institutions, and keywords. The analysis reveals exponential growth in green shipping research over the past decade, with a significant increase since 2019. China leads in publication output and international collaboration. Key research areas identified include sustainable development, green energy, green ports, and green supply chain management. Green shipping research is rapidly expanding, emphasizing sustainable practices and technological advancements. Future research is expected to integrate artificial intelligence, big data analytics, and other advanced technologies to further promote sustainability. Strengthening international cooperation and interdisciplinary integration will be crucial for advancing the global green shipping agenda.

In the fields of agriculture and forestry, the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) is a critical indicator for assessing the physiological state of plants. Traditional imaging sensors can only collect two-dimensional vegetation distribution data, while dual-wavelength LiDAR technology offers the capability to capture vertical distribution information, which is essential for forest structure recovery and precision agriculture management. However, existing LiDAR systems face challenges in detecting echoes at two wavelengths, typically relying on multiple detectors or array sensors, leading to high costs, bulky systems, and slow detection rates. This study introduces a time-stretched method to separate two laser wavelengths in the time dimension, enabling a more cost-effective and efficient dual-spectral (600 nm and 800 nm) LiDAR system. Utilizing a supercontinuum laser and a single-pixel detector, the system incorporates specifically designed time-stretched transmission optics, enhancing the efficiency of NDVI data collection. We validated the ranging performance of the system, achieving an accuracy of approximately 3 mm by collecting data with a high sampling rate oscilloscope. Furthermore, by detecting branches, soil, and leaves in various health conditions, we evaluated the system’s performance. The dual-wavelength LiDAR can detect variations in NDVI due to differences in chlorophyll concentration and water content. Additionally, we used the radar equation to analyze the actual scene, clarifying the impact of the incidence angle on reflectance and NDVI. Scanning the Red Sumach, we obtained its NDVI distribution, demonstrating its physical characteristics. In conclusion, the proposed dual-wavelength LiDAR based on the time-stretched method has proven effective in agricultural and forestry applications, offering a new technological approach for future precision agriculture and forest management.

Full-length grouted bolts play a crucial role in geotechnical engineering thanks to their excellent stability. However, few studies have been concerned with the degrading performance of grouted rock bolts caused by extensive and continuous heat conduction from surrounding rocks in high-geothermal tunnels buried more than 100 m (temperature from 28 °C to 100 °C). To investigate the damage mechanism, we examined the time-varying behaviors of grouted rock bolts in both constant and variable temperature curing environments and their damage due to the coupling effects of high temperature and humidity through mechanical and micro-feature tests, including uniaxial compression test, pull-out test, computed tomography (CT) scans, X-ray diffraction (XRD) test, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), etc., and further analyzed the relationship between grout properties and anchorage capability. In order to facilitate a rapid assessment and control of the anchorage performance of anchors in different conditions, results of the interface bond degradation tests were correlated to environment parameters based on the damage model of interfacial bond stress proposed. Accordingly, a thermal hazard classification criterion for anchorage design in high-geothermal tunnels was suggested. Based on the reported results, although high temperature accelerated the early-stage hydration reaction of grouting materials, it affected the distribution and quantity of hydration products by inhibiting hydration degree, thus causing mechanical damage to the anchorage system. There was a significant positive correlation between the strength of the grouting material and the anchoring force. Influenced by the changes in grout properties, three failure patterns of rock bolts typically existed. Applying a hot-wet curing regime results in less reduction in anchorage force compared to the hot-dry curing conditions. The findings of this study would contribute to the design and investigations of grouted rock bolts in high-geothermal tunnels.

Based on hourly precipitation data of 68 meteorological stations in Gansu Province from 1990 to 2019， the temporal and spatial distribution characteristics and long-term trend of hourly extreme precipitation during main flood season （May-August） in Gansu Province were analyzed by using percentile threshold method from the characteristics of extreme hourly precipitation indices which decided by precipitation， frequency and intensity.It provided effective reference values for further understanding the occurrence regularity of extreme precipitation events in different climatic regions from arid to humid.The results showed that， （1） the extreme hourly precipitation indices decreased from southeast to northwest in Gansu Province.The occurrence of extreme hourly precipitation indices in southwest and southeast of Gansu accounted for a relatively high proportion， and it is the least in Hexi region of Gansu.（2） Extreme hourly precipitation reached its peak in August in southwest and southeast of Gansu， and in July in Hexi and central region of Gansu.The extreme hourly precipitation frequency was the highest in August in Hexi region and southeast of Gansu， and the highest in July in central region and southwest of Gansu.The extreme hourly precipitation intensity was the highest in August in the central region and southwest of Gansu， while the extreme hourly precipitation intensity was the highest in July in Hexi region and southeast Gansu.（3） The climatic trend rates of extreme hourly precipitation， frequency and intensity in Gansu were 6.32 mm·（10a）-1， 0.49 times·（10a）-1 and 0.14 mm·h-1·（10a）-1， respectively， and the increasing trend of precipitation and frequency in Hexi region and southeast of Gansu showed extremely significance.（4） The diurnal variation of extreme hourly precipitation indices in each region showed a single-peak pattern， and the peak value mainly appeared in the afternoon to early midnight.The climatic trend rates of extreme hourly precipitation indices increased in Hexi region and southwest of Gansu in most of the period.From noon to early midnight， the climatic trend rates of extreme hourly precipitation indices weakened in central region and increased in southeast region of Gansu Province.

Abstract Warming has been and is being enhanced at high latitudes or high elevations, whereas the quantitative estimation for warming from altitude and latitude effects has not been systematically investigated over Antarctic Ice Sheet, which covers more than 27 degrees of latitude and 4000 m altitude ranges. Based on the monthly surface air temperature data (1958–2020) from ERA5 reanalysis, this work aims to explore whether elevation-dependent warming (EDW) and latitude-dependent warming (LDW) exist. Results show that both EDW and LDW have the cooperative effect on Antarctic warming, and the magnitude of EDW is stronger than LDW. The negative EDW appears between 250 m and 2500 m except winter, and is strongest in autumn. The negative LDW occurs between 83 °S and 90 °S except in summer. Moreover, the surface downward long-wave radiation that related to the specific humidity, total cloud cover and cloud base height is a major contributor to the EDW over Antarctica. Further research on EDW and LDW should be anticipated to explore the future Antarctic amplification under different emission scenarios.

Tendon injuries, a common musculoskeletal issue, usually result in adhesions to the surrounding tissue, that will impact functional recovery. Macrophages, particularly through their M1 and M2 polarizations, play a pivotal role in the inflammatory and healing phases of tendon repair. In this review, we explore the role of macrophage polarization in tendon healing, focusing on insights from animal models. The review delves into the complex interplay of macrophages in tendon pathology, detailing how various macrophage phenotypes contribute to both healing and adhesion formation. It also explores the potential of modulating macrophage activity to enhance tendon repair and minimize adhesions. With advancements in understanding macrophage behavior and the development of innovative biomaterials, this review highlights promising therapeutic strategies for tendon injuries.

Lake ecosystems play a crucial role in maintaining global biodiversity, flood storage, and water purification. Fish living in lakes and their habitat quality are significant indicators of the overall health of the lake ecosystem. In recent years, the impact of climate change and human activities on lake habitats has become an important research topic. In this paper, using fish as an indicator species, the habitat factors of lake fish were classified into hydrological factors, water quality factors, topographic and substrate factors, and biological factors, based on which the influence mechanism of each factor of the lake habitat system on fish was sorted out. We used the VOSviewer bibliometric analysis tool to visualize the knowledge map and identify current research hotspots and development trends related to simulation and assessment methods for lake fish habitats. Additionally, we reviewed the research progress of four types of lake habitat models. Based on the current research perspectives and shortcomings, a research framework for assessing the risk of lake habitat degradation is proposed, which consists of four parts. This framework could establish a theoretical foundation for the protection and restoration of lake ecosystems.

BackgroundSequential embryo transfer has been recognized as a strategy to increase pregnancy rates in women undergoing in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer (IVF-ET). However, its impact on assisted reproductive outcomes remains to be substantiated by robust evidence. This systematic review aims to summarize and analyze the available evidence to investigate the effect of sequential embryo transfer on assisted reproductive outcomes.MethodsA comprehensive literature search was executed across the Pubmed, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, and Scopus databases in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Data were aggregated utilizing a random effects model, and the resultant outcomes were articulated as odds ratios (ORs) along with their 95% confidence intervals (CIs).ResultsThe pooled results revealed a statistically significant enhancement in reproductive outcomes for infertile patients undergoing sequential embryo transfer as evidenced by elevated rates of chemical pregnancy (OR = 1.67, 95% CI = 1.23–2.27), clinical pregnancy (OR = 1.78, 95% CI = 1.43–2.21), and ongoing pregnancy (OR = 1.54, 95% CI = 1.03–2.31). Compared with cleavage-stage embryo transfer, sequential transfer yielded superior outcomes in terms of chemical pregnancy rate (OR = 2.08, 95% CI = 1.35–3.19) and clinical pregnancy rate (OR = 1.78, 95% CI = 1.37–2.31). Furthermore, among the repeated implantation failure (RIF) cohort, sequential embryo transfer surpassed blastocyst-stage transfer, delivering a heightened chemical pregnancy rate (OR = 1.66, 95% CI = 1.19–2.53) and clinical pregnancy rate (OR = 1.65, 95% CI = 1.19–2.27).ConclusionOur meta-analysis indicates that sequential transfer may enhance clinical pregnancy rate in a small subgroup of well-selected women. While promising, further evidence from prospective studies is needed.

The Qilian Mountains (QLMs) encompass a diverse alpine grassland ecosystem undergoing notable changes due to global climate change. Understanding the driving forces behind these changes is crucial for effective regional vegetation restoration and management, particularly given the contrasting climatic conditions between the eastern and western regions of the QLMs. This study investigated the spatiotemporal evolution of grassland NDVI and the influence of 13 variables on NDVI changes in six distinct QLM sub-basins from 1990 to 2019 using Landsat data and the Geodetector model, respectively. Results revealed a consistent greening trend in all sub-basins, albeit with varying slopes. Notably, the Qinghai Lake basin exhibited a recent slowdown in NDVI, highlighting the need for enhanced vegetation restoration efforts, especially in permafrost-covered areas. Environmental factors affecting NDVI differed among basins. In the western QLMs, sunshine duration and relative humidity emerged as key factors influencing NDVI distribution, while in the eastern basins, altitude and air temperature played significant roles. This study underscored the importance of hydrothermal conditions, both horizontally and vertically, in shaping grassland NDVI. Other factors, such as vegetation types, soil characteristics, and permafrost degradation, also influenced NDVI, while slope and slope aspects had a limited impact. Furthermore, the research identified threshold-dependent responses of NDVI to the interaction of these factors. These findings emphasized the need to customize vegetation restoration strategies based on the specific environmental conditions of each basin within the QLMs. This nuanced understanding of the distinct driving characteristics between the eastern and western QLMs enables more effective and targeted approaches to restoring and managing grassland ecosystems in this region.

Apple ring rot, which is caused by Botryosphaeria dothidea, severely affects apple production. The mechanisms employed in apple cells against B. dothidea remain unknown. In this research, the pathogen infection mode and the relationship between cell death and disease resistance in ‘Fuji’/B. dothidea interaction pathosystem were investigated. By using transmission electron microscopy (TEM), our research showed that the pathogen infects apple cells both intracellularly and extracellularly. However, compared with that in immature fruit, the incidence of hyphae in the interior of mature apple fruit cells increased dramatically, suggesting that cell wall-mediated penetration resistance could be important in apple resistance against B. dothidea. TEM ultrastructural characterization identified the nuclear morphology of programmed cell death induction in both apple fruit and callus cells under B. dothidea infection. Overexpression of MdVDAC2 (MDP0000271281), which encodes an outer-membrane localized anion channel protein in mitochondria, significantly promoted cell death under B. dothidea infection and simultaneously inhibited pathogen infection, suggesting that cell death represents a disease resistance mechanism in apple against B. dothidea infection. Furthermore, BdCatalase (KAF4307763), a cytochrome P450 family protein BdCYP52A4 (KAF4300696), and subtilisin-domain containing proteins were identified from B. dothidea-secreted proteins, which suggested the potential involvement of active oxygen species and phytoalexins in combating B. dothidea infection and triggering or dampening apple resistance. Collectively, our research suggested that cell wall-mediated penetration resistance, programmed cell death machinery and microbial effector-interrelated signaling were among strategies recruited in apple to combat B. dothidea. The current research laid the foundation for further investigations into resistance mechanisms in apple.

Abstract Reflective tomography Lidar is long‐range, high‐resolution imaging Lidar. Because the angular resolution is independent of detection range, it enjoys promising application prospects in imaging of small space targets, estimation of barycentre range of space debris, and many other fields. In practice, images generated by reflective tomography Lidar generally contain a large number of artefacts and noise that need to be removed to obtain the target profile. To improve the quality of the target profile, an algorithm is proposed for the extraction and segmentation of the target region in reflective tomography Lidar images. According to the experimental results, the algorithm can achieve better segmentation results than the traditional threshold segmentation algorithms. In particular, the algorithm can maintain good segmentation results for those images with noticeable ring artefacts, strip artefacts, and noise while avoiding under‐segmentation or over‐segmentation. It also guarantees the integrity of the target segmentation, preserves the outer contour and detailed structure information of the target as much as possible, and improves the accuracy of the target segmentation. Compared with conventional threshold segmentation algorithms, the algorithm improves the quality of image segmentation, and can improve the quality factor by more than 3%.

Hyperspectral LiDAR (HSL) has been utilized as an efficacious technique in object classification and recognition based on its unique capability to obtain ranges and spectra synchronously. Different kinds of HSL prototypes with varied structures have been promoted and measured its performance. However, almost all of these HSL prototypes employ complex and large spectroscopic devices, such as an Acousto-Optic Tunable Filter and Liquid-Crystal Tunable Filter, which makes this HSL system bulky and expensive, and then hinders its extensive application in many fields. In this paper, a smart and smaller spectroscopic component, an intergraded optical filter (IOF), is promoted to miniaturize these HSL systems. The system calibration, range precision, and spectral profile experiments were carried out to test the HSL prototype. Although the IOF employed here only covered a wavelength range of 699–758 nm with a six-channel passband and showed a transmittance of less than 50%, the HSL prototype showed excellent performance in ranging and spectral profile collecting. The spectral profiles collected are well in accordance with those acquired based on the AOTF. The spectral profiles of the fruits, vegetables, plants, and ore samples collected by the HSL based on an IOF can effectively reveal the status of the plants, the component materials, and ore species. Finally, we also showed the integrated design of the HSL based on a three-dimensional IOF and combined with a detector. The performance and designs of this HSL system based on an IOF show great potential for miniaturizing in some specific applications.

This article proposes a new deadbeat predictive current control (DPCC) method based on a sliding-mode observer (SMO), which is applied in the field of permanent magnet motor control. A novel DPCC control method based on SMO is proposed according to the inherent issues of DPCC, which can effectively suppress internal parameter mismatch disturbances and external disturbances in the current loop. The mathematical model and derivation process of the proposed method are introduced. A simulation model is built and the effectiveness of the proposed method is verified. An experimental platform is built and the superiority of the proposed method is verified based on comparative experiments. Experimental results show that the proposed algorithm has strong robustness to the motor parameter mismatch. Compared with extended state observer (ESO) and adaptive observer (AO), the proposed algorithm has faster response speed and higher steady-state accuracy.

High malignancy is a prominent characteristic of epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC), emphasizing the necessity for further elucidation of the potential mechanisms underlying cancer progression. Aneuploidy and copy number variation (CNV) partially contribute to the heightened malignancy observed in EOC; however, the precise features of aneuploidy and their underlying molecular patterns, as well as the relationship between CNV and aneuploidy in EOC, remain unclear. In this study, we employed single-cell sequencing data along with The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) to investigate aneuploidy and CNV in EOC. The technique of fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) was employed using specific probes. The copy number variation within the genomic region of chromosome 8 (42754568-47889815) was assessed and utilized as a representative measure for the ploidy status of individual cells in chromosome 8. Differential expression analysis was performed between different subgroups based on chromosome 8 ploidy. Gene ontology (GO), Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG), protein–protein interaction (PPI), and hub–gene analyses were subsequently utilized to identify crucial genes involved. By classifying enriched tumor cells into distinct subtypes based on chromosome 8 ploidy combined with TCGA data integration, we identified key genes driving chromosome 8 aneuploidy in EOC, revealing that PRKDC gene involvement through the mediated non-homologous end-joining pathway may play a pivotal role in disease progression. Further validation through analysis of the GEO and TCGA database and survival assessment, considering both mRNA expression levels and CNV status of PRKDC, has confirmed its involvement in the progression of EOC. Further functional analysis revealed an upregulation of PRKDC in both ovarian EOC cells and tissues, with its expression showing a significant correlation with the extent of copy number variation (CNV) on chromosome 8. Taken together, CNV amplification and aneuploidy of chromosome 8 are important characteristics of EOC. PRKDC and the mediated NHEJ pathway may play a crucial role in driving aneuploidy on chromosome 8 during the progression of EOC.

BackgroundThe association between periodontitis and cardiovascular disease is increasingly recognized. In this research, a prediction model utilizing machine learning (ML) was created and verified to evaluate the likelihood of coronary heart disease in individuals affected by periodontitis.MethodsWe conducted a comprehensive analysis of data obtained from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) database, encompassing the period between 2009 and 2014.This dataset comprised detailed information on a total of 3,245 individuals who had received a confirmed diagnosis of periodontitis. Subsequently, the dataset was randomly partitioned into a training set and a validation set at a ratio of 6:4. As part of this study, we conducted weighted logistic regression analyses, both univariate and multivariate, to identify risk factors that are independent predictors for coronary heart disease in individuals who have periodontitis. Five different machine learning algorithms, namely Logistic Regression (LR), Gradient Boosting Machine (GBM), Support Vector Machine (SVM), K-Nearest Neighbor (KNN), and Classification and Regression Tree (CART), were utilized to develop the model on the training set. The evaluation of the prediction models’ performance was conducted on both the training set and validation set, utilizing metrics including AUC (Area under the receiver operating characteristic curve), Brier score, calibration plot, and decision curve analysis (DCA). Additionally, a graphical representation called a nomogram was created using logistic regression to visually depict the predictive model.ResultsThe factors that were found to independently contribute to the risk, as determined by both univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses, encompassed age, race, presence of myocardial infarction, chest pain status, utilization of lipid-lowering medications, levels of serum uric acid and serum creatinine. Among the five evaluated machine learning models, the KNN model exhibited exceptional accuracy, achieving an AUC value of 0.977. The calibration plot and brier score illustrated the model's ability to accurately estimate probabilities. Furthermore, the model's clinical applicability was confirmed by DCA.ConclusionOur research showcases the effectiveness of machine learning algorithms in forecasting the likelihood of coronary heart disease in individuals with periodontitis, thereby aiding healthcare professionals in tailoring treatment plans and making well-informed clinical decisions.

ObjectivesTo analyze the correlation between heart rate variability (HRV) and palpitation symptoms in female patients with long COVID.MethodsA total of 272 female healthcare workers who were infected with SARS-CoV-2 for the first time in December 2022 at Fuzhou First Hospital affiliated with Fujian Medical University, were selected as study subjects. These subjects were divided into three groups based on their symptoms: a group with palpitations (70 cases), a group without palpitations but with other symptoms (124 cases), and a group consisting of asymptomatic cases (78 cases). The study compared the general information, COMPASS-31 scores, quality of life scores, and HRV parameters among the three groups. Furthermore, it analyzed the factors influencing palpitation symptoms in female patients with long COVID.ResultsCompared to the other two groups, the HRV parameters SDNN, HRVIndex, LF, and TP were significantly reduced in the group with palpitations (p

Establishing wildlife corridors to link detached habitat patches is a widely advocated conservation strategy to reduce the adverse impacts of habitat fragmentation. Given the scarcity of conservation resources, designing an efficient corridor system calls for an optimization approach. The optimal configuration of a wildlife corridor system involving multiple habitat patches poses significant challenges, both methodologically and computationally. This study proposes a two-stage procedure for that purpose. In the first stage, we determine a best-quality corridor between each pair of habitat patches using the method described in Wang et al. (2022). In the second stage, we select a subset of those corridors to assemble a least-cost corridor system using a mixed integer linear programming model presented in this paper. We use an illustrative example to demonstrate the workings of the two-stage method, and then apply it to a real dataset for an area in Cumberland County, Nova Scotia, Canada, involving 1039 irregular land parcels. Results show that an efficient corridor system where each habitat patch is connected to some neighboring habitat patches through a specified minimum number of corridors can be identified conveniently in terms of both data processing and computational effort.

The continuous development of communication technology and various deep learning models has led to the invention and application of many anti-interference technologies in the field of communication countermeasures. The existing communication interference models have defects such as low anti-interference rate and low accuracy in communication spectrum prediction. To solve these problems, this study attempts to construct a Convolutional Neural Networks Long Short Term Memory (CNN-LSTM) and apply it to the communication jamming system for spectrum state prediction. Firstly, the framework of the communication interference system using the USRP RIO radio platform software was designed, and based on it, the communication interference channel was optimized using reinforcement learning Q-learning algorithm. Next, to further predict the signal spectrum state during the communication process, neural networks are utilized to construct a communication spectrum state prediction model. According to the optimization effect of communication interference channel and network spectrum prediction effect tested, the communication model under the Q-learning algorithm can achieve a 100% effective interference probability in fixed communication strategies. The Convolutional Neural Networks-1 Long-Short Term Memory-2 model has a prediction accuracy of 95.2% and can accurately predict changes in the communication spectrum. In summary, the Convolutional Neural Networks-1 Long-Short Term Memory-2 network constructed by this paper can provide new solutions and achieve good results for communication spectrum prediction.

Comparisons among experimental results with large amounts of data can be more precise and meaningful when done across multiple different conditions simultaneously. Koch et al. introduce a method, called CLIMB, that does this, and captures interpretable and biologically meaningful information.

Abstract The polar amplification (PA) has become the focus of climate change. However, there are seldom comparisons of amplification among Earth’s three poles of Arctic (latitude higher than 60 °N), Antarctica (Antarctic Ice Sheet) and the Third Pole (the High Mountain Asia with the elevation higher than 4000 m) under different socioeconomic scenarios. Based on CMIP6 multi-model ensemble, two types of PA index (PAI) have been defined to quantify the PA intensity and variations, and PAI1/PAI2 is defined as the ratio of the absolute value of surface air temperature linear trend over Earth’s three poles and that for global mean/over other regions except Earth’s three poles. Arctic warms fastest in winter and weakest in summer, followed by the Third Pole, and Antarctica warms least. The similar phenomenon proceeds when global warming of 1.5–2.0 °C, and 2.0–3.0 °C above pre-industrial levels. After removing the Earth’s three poles self-influence, all the PAI2s increase much more obviously relative to the PAI1s, especially the Antarctic PAI. Earth’s three poles warm faster than the other regions. With the forcing increasing, PA accelerates much more over Antarctica and the Third Pole, but becomes weaker over Arctic. This demonstrates that future warming rate might make a large difference among Earth’s three poles under different scenarios.

We report on a passively mode-locked Tm,Ho:CLNGG laser operating at 2090 nm, pumped by a multimode fiber-coupled 793 nm laser diode, representing the first demonstration of a diode-pumped sub-100-fs mode-locked laser at 2.1 μ m wavelength. Due to the disordered nature of the gain material that exhibits a broad and smooth gain profile, pulses as short as 88 fs were achieved with an average output power of 120 mW at a repetition rate of 70.3 MHz. Stable self-starting mode-locked operation was obtained using a semiconductor saturable absorber mirror based on the GaSb material system.

Food safety is closely related to human health. However, the regulation and testing processes for food safety are intricate and resource-intensive. Therefore, it is necessary to address food safety risks using a combination of deep learning, the Internet of Things, smartphones, quick response codes, smart packaging, and other smart technologies. Intelligent designs that combine digital systems and advanced functionalities with biosensors hold great promise for revolutionizing current food safety practices. This review introduces the concept of Food Safety 4.0, and discusses the impact of intelligent biosensors, which offer attractive smarter solutions, including real-time monitoring, predictive analytics, enhanced traceability, and consumer empowerment, helping improve risk management and ensure the highest standards of food safety.

Migraine is a serious central nervous system disease with a high incidence rate. Its pathogenesis is very complex, which brings great difficulties for clinical treatment. Recently, many studies have revealed that mitochondrial dysfunction may play a key role in migraine, which affects the hyperosmotic of Ca2+, the excessive production of free radicals, the decrease of mitochondrial membrane potential, the imbalance of mPTP opening and closing, and the decrease of oxidative phosphorylation level, which leads to neuronal energy exhaustion and apoptosis, and finally lessens the pain threshold and migraine attack. This article mainly introduces cortical spreading depression, a pathogenesis of migraine, and then damages the related function of mitochondria, which leads to migraine. Oxidative phosphorylation and the tricarboxylic acid cycle are the main ways to provide energy for the body. 95 percent of the energy needed for cell survival is provided by the mitochondrial respiratory chain. At the same time, hypoxia can lead to cell death and migraine. The pathological opening of the mitochondrial permeability transition pore can promote the interaction between pro-apoptotic protein and mitochondrial, destroy the structure of mPTP, and further lead to cell death. The increase of mPTP permeability can promote the accumulation of reactive oxygen species, which leads to a series of changes in the expression of proteins related to energy metabolism. Both Nitric oxide and Calcitonin gene-related peptide are closely related to the attack of migraine. Recent studies have shown that changes in their contents can also affect the energy metabolism of the body, so this paper reviews the above mechanisms and discusses the mechanism of brain energy metabolism of migraine, to provide new strategies for the prevention and treatment of migraine and promote the development of individualized and accurate treatment of migraine.

Hindlimb ischemia (HLI), in which blood perfusion to the hindlimb is obstructed, is one of the major complications of diabetes. Skeletal muscle cells are crucial for revascularization as they can secrete various angiogenic factors; however, hyperglycemia impairs their viability and subsequently their angiogenic potential. Salidroside can promote skeletal muscle cell viability under hyperglycemia; however, the molecular mechanism is still poorly understood. Here we revealed that salidroside could suppress hyperglycemia-induced ferroptosis in skeletal muscle cells by promoting GPX4 expression, thereby restoring their viability and paracrine functions. These in turn promoted the proliferation and migration potentials of blood vessel-forming cells. Furthermore, we showed that salidroside/GPX4-mediated ferroptosis inhibition is crucial for promoting angiogenesis and blood perfusion recovery in diabetic HLI mice. Together, we reveal a novel molecular mechanism of salidroside in enhancing skeletal muscle cells-mediated revascularization and blood perfusion recovery in diabetic HLI mice, further highlighting it as a potential compound for treating diabetic HLI.

A single crystal of ytterbium-doped “mixed” yttrium–lutetium aluminum garnet with a stoichiometric composition of (Y0.601Lu0.233Yb0.166)3Al5O12 was grown by the Czochralski method and its structure, vibronic, spectroscopic, and laser properties were studied. The stimulated-emission cross-section for Yb3+ ions was maximized to 2.53 × 10−20 cm2 at 1031 nm. The emission bandwidth was ~8 nm, and the reabsorption-free luminescence lifetime of the 2F5/2 state was 1.063 ms. Pumped at 941 nm, the Yb laser generated a maximum output power of 1.04 W at 1.03 and 1.05 μm with a high slope efficiency of 76.4% and a laser threshold of 76 mW. A continuous wavelength tuning over a range of 51.6 nm (1026.4–1078.0 nm) was also achieved. Power scaling was achieved using a 969 nm diode-pumped microchip cavity. A maximum output power of ~9 W was obtained at 1.05 μm with a slope efficiency of 76% and an almost circular laser beam profile.

Global warming increases the frequency and intensity of climate extremes, but the changes in climate extremes over the Antarctic Ice Sheet (AIS) during different periods are unknown. Changes in surface temperature extreme indices (TN10p, TX10p, TN90p, TX90p, CSDI, WSDI, TNn, TNx, TXn, TXx and DTR) are assessed during 2021–2050 and 2071–2100 under SSP1-2.6, SSP2-4.5, SSP3-7.0 and SSP5-8.5, based on the multi-model ensemble mean (MMEM) from the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 6 (CMIP6). The extreme indices, excluding TXn and DTR, illustrate the opposite trend in the two periods in SSP1-2.6 over the AIS. Generally, the changes in extreme indices reflect the continued warming over AIS in the future, and the warming is projected to intensify in SSP3-7.0 and SSP5-8.5. The variations in the extreme indices exhibit regional differences. The Antarctic Peninsula displays rapid changes in TNn, TXn and DTR. In SSP5-8.5, the magnitudes of all climate index tendencies are greater during 2071–2100 than 2021–2050. The variations in TX10p, TX90p, TN10p, TN90p, WSDI and CSDI are faster in the Antarctic inland than in the other regions over the AIS. However, the decrease in the DTR is concentrated along the AIS coast and extends to the interior region, whereas the increasing trend occurs in the Antarctic inland. In West AIS, TX90p and TN90p rapidly increase during 2021–2050, whereas the rapid changing signals disappear in this region in 2071–2100. The dramatic changes in TNn, TXn and DTR occur at the Ross Ice Shelf during 2071–2100, indicating an increased risk of collapse. For TNx and TXx, the degree of warming in the later part of the 21st century is divided by the transantarctic mountains, and greater changes appear on the eastern side. Generally, Antarctic amplification of TNn, TXn and DTR is observed except under SSP1-2.6. In addition, TNx and TXx amplifications occur in SSP3-7.0 and SSP5-8.5.

Depression is of increasing concern as its prevalence increases. Our study's objective was to create and evaluate a nomogram to predict the likelihood that hypertension patients may experience depression. 13293 people with hypertension who were under 20 years old were chosen from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) database between 2007 and 2018 for this study. The training and validation sets were split up into the dataset at random in a 7:3 ratio. To find independent predictors, univariate and multivariate logistic regression were employed on the training set. Using information from the validation set, nomogram was subsequently created and internally validated. The effectiveness of the nomogram is assessed using calibration curve and receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curve. Combining univariate logistic regression analysis and multifactor logistic regression analysis, the results showed that age, sex, race, marital, education level, sleep time on workdays, poverty to income ratio, smoking, alcohol consumption, sedentary time and heart failure status were risk factors for hypertensive patients suffering from depression and were included in the nomogram model, and ROC analysis showed that the AUC of the training set was 0.757 (0.797-0.586), with a sensitivity of 0.586; the AUC of the test set was 0.724 (0.712-0.626), with a sensitivity of 0.626, which was a good fit. Decision curve analysis further confirms the value of nomogram for clinical application. In the civilian non-institutionalized population of the United States, our study suggests a nomogram that can aid in predicting the likelihood of depression in hypertension patients and aiding in the selection of the most effective treatments.

Introduction: Droughts and flooding occur frequently due to climate change and human activities, which have significantly affected the ecological environment of farmland and crop production. Rock wool (RW) has some properties like high porosity and water retention capacity, and it is widely used in green roofing and agricultural production to reduce flood and drought disaster.Methods: We set 24 artificial rainfall experiments to analyze the impact of RW on the farmland runoff, soil water storage capacity (SWSC), nitrogen and phosphorus loss and crop growth. Finally, the Critic-Entropy comprehensive evaluation method was used to select the best solution for RW embedding.Results: The result shows that RW could reduce the runoff by 49.6%–93.3%, and it made the SWSC increase by .2%–11% Vol in the 10–70 cm depth. During the runoff process, the concentration of nitrogen and phosphorus decreased with the increase of the RW volume, while the nitrogen and phosphorus loss reduced by 51.9%–96.6% and 72.4%–96.4% respectively when RW was buried in the farmland, so RW could effectively promote soil and water conservation. Finally, RW increased the plant biomass and yield by a maximum of 12.1% and 20.4% respectively due to the large retention of water and nutrients. Therefore, combined with the above experimental result, this study indicates that RW could obtain the best comprehensive benefit in the embedding volume of 536.73 m3/ha.Discussion: When the volume of RW embedding was too large, RW easily caused insufficient water storage in short-duration rainfall or irrigation, which made the RW unable to release water to alleviate the soil water deficit during the critical growth period, which may result in drought events being aggravated and crop yield reduced. Overall, this study is conducive to clarifying the comprehensive application effect of RW in agricultural production, pollution control, and urban landscape, and it provides an important basis for expanding its application field and promoting the stability of farmland ecosystems.

Objective The effect of fetal oval foramen restriction and premature contraction of the arterial catheter for the right heart function of fetuses and infants was studied by evaluating the right and left ventricular (RV/LV) ratios, the tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion (TAPSE) value, and the Tei index of right heart function parameters. Methods This study was approved by the Ethics Committee of First Affiliated Hospital of Hebei North University (K20190116). We collected 257 fetuses between March 2020 and December 2021. Among these, 98 fetuses that did not have any heart abnormalities were assigned to group A, 91 fetuses with restriction of the left and right atrial channels were assigned to group B, and 68 fetuses with premature contraction of the arterial catheter were assigned to group C. The ventricular transverse diameter, the right heart TAPSE value and the Tei index of fetuses in late pregnancy and 90 days after birth were measured in the three groups, and the diagnostic value of each index for the right heart function injury was evaluated. P 0.05, which was not significant; however, P

The accumulation of discarded mollusk shells has occupied a large land area and caused severe environmental pollution problems. Discarded mollusk shells are mainly composed of calcium carbonate and therefore can be used for the removal of heavy metals from the contaminated aquatic environment. Theoretically, shells with a smaller powder size have a higher adsorption capacity for heavy metal ions. However, the agglomeration and the outflow of small particles limit the applications of mollusk shells in water treatment practices. To overcome the shortcomings of mollusk shells in heavy metals adsorptions, a polymer composite material comprising poly (vinyl alcohol)/oyster shell powder (PVA-OSP) was prepared with the solution casting method for the adsorption of heavy metal ions from wastewater. The structures and the heavy metal adsorption properties of the oyster shell powder (OSP) and the composite PVA-OSP were studied and compared. Analysis results of XRD and FT-IR showed a successful combination of OSP and PVA by a chemical cross-linking modified with sodium silicate. The composite PVA-OSP has good thermal stability for common adsorption processes. The adsorption results showed that the adsorption capacity of the PVA-OSP composite for both Cu2+ and Cd2+ was much higher than that of the OSP. The adsorptions of Cu2+ and Cd2+ on the OSP followed the pseudo-second-order kinetic model as well as the Temkin and Freundlich isotherm model. Comparatively, the adsorptions of heavy metal cations on the PVA-OSP followed the pseudo-first-order kinetic model as well as the Temkin and Langmuir isotherm model. In conclusion, this study showed that the PVA-OSP composite materials may be useful in the treatment of wastewater polluted by heavy metals.

This paper focuses on determining the spatial and temporal characteristics of the sensitivity coefficients (SCs) between potential evapotranspiration (ET0) and key climatic factors across the Shiyang River Basin (SYRB) from 1981 to 2015. Penman–Monteith equation and a sensitivity analysis were used to calculate ET0 and the SCs for key climatic factors. Sen's slope was used to analyze the observed series. According to the results, the sensitivity significances were in the order of relative humidity (RH) > net solar radiation (NSR) > wind speed (WS) > maximum air temperature (Tmax) > minimum air temperature (Tmin). The SCs for the RH and NSR were larger in the upper mountainous region, while the other three coefficients were larger in the middle and lower reaches. All five climatic factors for the ET0 SCs showed increasing trends in the mountainous region, and the Tmax, WS and RH SCs increased in the middle and lower reaches. Over the past 35 years, the change in ET0 was dominated by the air temperature (T), RH and NSR, and the increase in ET0 during the studied period was mainly due to the increases in T and NSR. HIGHLIGHTS Determined the spatial and temporal characteristics of the sensitivity coefficients between ET0 and key climatic factors across the SYRB.; Explored the causes of ET0 changes and their responses to climate change in the SYRB.; Quantified the contribution rate of each climatic element to ET0 in the SYRB from 1981 to 2015.;

Study region: Mu Us Sandy Land, China. Study focus: The groundwater table in unconfined aquifers is often a subdued replica of the topography or land surface. In hilly terrain, spatial interpolation methods are prone to errors such as higher interpolation water level than the ground surface due to sparse observation wells. Meanwhile, in ridge areas, groundwater depth can easily be overestimated with limited groundwater observations. To address these issues, this paper proposes a framework to learn groundwater depth using related groundwater variables based on the extreme gradient boosting (XGB) machine learning method. Moreover, the groundwater level map is drawn based on the predicted groundwater depths and elevation data.New Hydrological Insights for the RegionThe results obtained by the XGB algorithm are compared with those of common interpolation methods (including inverse distance weighting, ordinary kriging, and collaborative ordinary kriging) and machine learning methods (including multiple linear regression, geographically weighted regression, support vector regression, and random forest). The results showed that the XGB using the Tweedie loss function performs best in learning groundwater depth compared with interpolation methods and other machine learning methods, and almost completely overcomes the effects of imbalanced data. The topographic factors such as elevation, topographic position index, and topographic roughness index are key factors for groundwater depth. This study provides a reference for improving regional GL mapping, especially in areas of complex terrain.

The long-term three-phase imbalance in distribution systems can lead to increased energy losses during transmission, reduced efficiency in energy utilization, and have serious implications for power supply security, power quality, and economic operations of the power system. The automatic load commutation device is an automatic device designed to address the issue of three-phase load imbalances in low-voltage distribution networks. By adjusting the phase of users without interrupting the power supply, this automatic device evenly distributes the load across all phases and effectively resolves the three-phase imbalance problem. Therefore, aiming at the above issue, a robust optimization method is adopted to address the control problem of automatic load commutation devices for a low-voltage distribution network. First, using historical data from photovoltaic and wind power generation systems as well as user load, a forecast analysis is conducted and uncertainty models for renewable energy and load demand are established. Then, a robust control strategy for the automatic load commutation device is proposed, which considers uncertainties of both source and load using the robust optimization method. The proposed model is then linearized using second-order cone technology and strong dual theory, and the column-and-constrained generation (C&CG) algorithm is employed to solve the problem iteratively. Finally, a modified IEEE 33-bus system is taken to verify the effectiveness of the proposed strategy. The simulation results show that the proposed load commutation device robust control model can enhance the ability of the distribution network to respond to load demand and renewable energy fluctuations while ensuring the economic operation of the distribution network. In addition, by adjusting the deviation amount and uncertainty parameters of load demand and renewable energy, a good balance between the robustness and economy of the proposed model can be achieved.

Abstract Refractive surgery is recognized as an effective method for myopia treatment, but it can induce night vision disturbances such as glare. We present an eye modeling method for the optical quality assessment in response to the structural changes in the eyes by femto-LASIK surgery. Customized eye models were built from the measurements of 134 right eyes pre- and post-operatively. Optical performance was evaluated using spot diagrams, point spread functions (PSFs), modulation transfer functions (MTFs), and chromatic aberrations at various fields (0°–30°), different pupil diameters (2–6 mm), and initial myopias (− 1.25 to − 10.5 D). Pupil size and initial myopia are the two major factors that affect visual performance of post-operative eyes. The results of spot diagrams, PSFs, and MTFs indicated that post-operative visual performance deteriorated as the visual field and pupil size increased, and it was significantly influenced by initial myopia. Post-operative chromatic aberrations were also affected by initial myopia. As pupil size increased, the post-operative longitudinal chromatic aberrations tended to decrease slightly, while the transverse chromatic aberrations remained similar. The use of eye modeling for refractive surgery assessment could possibly provide a more personalized surgical approach, could improve the prediction accuracy of refractive surgery outcomes, and promote the invention and development of better surgical methods.

Abstract A bilateral gate-controlled S/D symmetric and interchangeable bidirectional tunnel field effect transistor (B-TFET) is proposed in this paper, which shows the advantage of bidirectional switching characteristics and compatibility with CMOS integrated circuits compared to the conventional asymmetrical TFET. The effects of the structural parameters, e.g., the doping concentrations of the N+ region and P+ region, length of the N+ region and length of the intrinsic region, on the device performances, e.g., the transfer characteristics, I on–I off ratio and subthreshold swing, and the internal mechanism are discussed and explained in detail.

Rhodiola is an ancient wild plant that grows in rock areas in high-altitude mountains with a widespread habitat in Asia, Europe, and America. From empirical belief to research studies, Rhodiola has undergone a long history of discovery, and has been used as traditional medicine in many countries and regions for treating high-altitude sickness, anoxia, resisting stress or fatigue, and for promoting longevity. Salidroside, a phenylpropanoid glycoside, is the main active component found in all species of Rhodiola. Salidroside could enhance cell survival and angiogenesis while suppressing oxidative stress and inflammation, and thereby has been considered a potential compound for treating ischemia and ischemic injury. In this article, we highlight the recent advances in salidroside in treating ischemic diseases, such as cerebral ischemia, ischemic heart disease, liver ischemia, ischemic acute kidney injury and lower limb ischemia. Furthermore, we also discuss the pharmacological functions and underlying molecular mechanisms. To our knowledge, this review is the first one that covers the protective effects of salidroside on different ischemia-related disease.

Microbial bromate reduction plays an important role in remediating bromate-contaminated waters as well as biogeochemical cycling of bromine. However, little is known about the molecular mechanism of microbial bromate reduction so far. Since the model strain Shewanella oneidensis MR-1 is capable of reducing a variety of oxyanions such as iodate, which has a high similarity to bromate, we hypothesize that S. oneidensis MR-1 can reduce bromate. Here, we conducted an experiment to investigate whether S. oneidensis MR-1 can reduce bromate, and report bromate reduction mediated by a dimethylsulfoxide reductase encoded with dmsA. S. oneidensis MR-1 is not a bromate-respiring bacterium but can reduce bromate to bromide under microaerobic conditions. When exposed to 0.15, 0.2, 0.25, 0.5, and 1 mM bromate, S. oneidensis MR-1 reduced bromate by around 100, 75, 64, 48, and 23%, respectively, within 12 h. In vivo evidence from gene deletion mutants and complemented strains of S. oneidensis MR-1 indicates that MtrB, MtrC, CymA, GspD, and DmsA are involved in bromate reduction, but not NapA, FccA, or SYE4. Based on our results as well as previous findings, a proposed molecular mechanism for bromate reduction is presented in this study. Moreover, a genomic survey indicates that 9 of the other 56 reported Shewanella species encode proteins highly homologous to CymA, GspD, and DmsA of S. oneidensis MR-1 by sequence alignment. The results of this study contribute to understanding a pathway for microbial bromate reduction.

Identifying the genetic variation characteristics of phenotypic traits is important for fruit tree breeding. During the long-term evolution of fruit trees, gene recombination and natural mutation have resulted in a high degree of heterozygosity. Apple (Malus × domestica Borkh.) shows strong ecological adaptability and is widely cultivated, and is among the most economically important fruit crops worldwide. However, the high level of heterozygosity and large genome of apple, in combination with its perennial life history and long juvenile phase, complicate investigation of the genetic basis of fruit quality traits. With continuing augmentation in the apple genomic resources available, in recent years important progress has been achieved in research on the genetic variation of fruit quality traits. This review focuses on summarizing recent genetic studies on apple fruit quality traits, including appearance, flavor, nutritional, ripening, and storage qualities. In addition, we discuss the mapping of quantitative trait loci, screening of molecular markers, and mining of major genes associated with fruit quality traits. The overall aim of this review is to provide valuable insights into the mechanisms of genetic variation and molecular breeding of important fruit quality traits in apple.

Water conservancy projects are one of the main sources of carbon emissions. Nearly 60% of river revetments in developed countries are treated with ecological slope protection technologies to reduce carbon emissions. Ecological river revetment has been widely adopted as a measure for slope protection. Presently, the study on carbon emission reduction mainly focuses on agricultural production, petroleum exploitation, residential life, and transportation. No significant research has been made on the effects of river revetment protection projects on carbon emissions. This study evaluates the carbon emissions from structural and ecological revetments, and its impact on China's climate. Results show that the ecological revetment can reduce carbon emissions significantly, by 93% as compared to the structural revetment. Moreover, the construction cost of an ecological slope is 37% cheaper than that of a structural slope. This research proves that ecological river slope protection technologies are vital for reducing China's carbon emission. HIGHLIGHTS At present, the research on carbon emission reduction does not contribute much to the research on carbon emission of river slope protection projects.; This study evaluates the carbon emissions from the structural slope and the ecological slope.; Quantify the carbon emissions from the structural slope and the ecological slope construction.; Consider the carbon storage capacity of green plants to compare the carbon emissions of the structural and ecological slope.; We study the contribution of ecological slope in reducing the carbon emissions and improving the climate and environment.;