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Abstract Objective There are no specific magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) features that distinguish pilocytic astrocytoma (PA) from adamantinomatous craniopharyngioma (ACP). In this study we compared the frequency of a novel enhancement characteristic on MRI (called the cut green pepper sign) in PA and ACP. Methods Consecutive patients with PA (n = 24) and ACP (n = 36) in the suprasellar region were included in the analysis. The cut green pepper sign was evaluated on post-contrast T1WI images independently by 2 neuroradiologists who were unaware of the pathologic diagnosis. The frequency of cut green pepper sign in PA and ACP was compared with Fisher’s exact test. Results The cut green pepper sign was identified in 50% (12/24) of patients with PA, and 5.6% (2/36) with ACP. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive value (NPV) of the cut green pepper sign for diagnosing PA were 50%, 94.4%, 85.7% and 73.9%, respectively. There was a statistically significant difference in the age of patients with PA with and without the cut green pepper sign (12.3 ± 9.2 years vs. 5.5 ± 4.4 years, p = 0.035). Conclusion The novel cut green pepper sign can help distinguish suprasellar PA from ACP on MRI.

Low-loss, high-birefringence, bend-resistant hollow-core anti-resonant fibers for infrared wavelengths have important applications in the fields of precision interferometric sensing, laser systems, and optical communications. In this paper, an eight-tube cladding quasi-symmetric hollow-core anti-resonant fiber is proposed, and two other anti-resonant fibers are designed based on this fiber structure. The finite element analysis method is used to numerically analyze the limiting loss, birefringence coefficient, bending resistance, and other properties of the three optical fibers after the optimized design. The results show that the limiting loss of the three optical fibers at λ = 1.55 μm is lower than 10−4 magnitude, and all of them obtain a birefringence coefficient of 10−4 magnitude; at the same time, the three optical fibers have their own characteristics and advantages, and the first optical fiber can reach a birefringence coefficient of 9.25 × 10−4 at λ = 1.52 μm.The limiting loss at λ = 1.55 μm is 3.42 × 10−5 dB/km. The minimum bending radius of the three types of anti-resonant fibers is less than 40 mm, which represents good bending characteristics, and the eight-tube cladding quasi-symmetric optical fiber has a bending loss of less than 2.10 × 10−3 dB/km when the bending radius is 28 mm. The three types of optical fibers have obtained good results in improving the mutual constraints between low limiting loss and high birefringence, with better results than the other two types. The obtained results have high development potential.

Motor imagery has been commonly studied as a means of motor rehabilitation but, the individual differences limit its practical application. Visually evoked motor imagery has been widely highlighted by researchers because of its vivid stimulus. However, this modality is still not applicable to all persons. In this study, we studied the different performances of the visually evoked motor imagery between subjects and tried to explore the personality manifestation which can result in this performance. We found that conscientiousness and openness have negative connections with the performance of visually evoked motor imagery. To compare with spontaneous motor imagery, the visually evoked motor imagery reflects less personality difference between subjects with good and bad performances on motor imagery. This indicate that visually stimulus may increase the pervasive application of motor imagery. This study may provide benefits to predict the rehabilitation effect and to rapidly select the suitable motor rehabilitation methods.

Sortase A (SrtA) is responsible for anchoring surface proteins to the cell wall, and has been identified as a promising target developing anti-infective drugs of Gram-positive bacteria. The aim of the study was to identify inhibitors of Streptococcus agalactiae (S. agalactiae) SrtA from natural compounds to overcome the spread of antibiotic resistance in aquaculture. Here, we found that the MIC of fraxetin against S. agalactiae was higher than 256 μg/mL, indicating that fraxetin had no anti- S. agalactiae activity. But fraxetin could dose-dependently decrease the activity of SrtA in vitro at concentrations ranging between 4–32 μg/mL by a fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) assay. Moreover, the inhibition of SrtA by fraxetin decreased the anchoring of surface proteins with the LPXTG motif to the cell wall by detecting the immunofluorescence change of serine-rich repeat protein 1 (Srr1) on the bacterial cell surface. The results of fibronectin binding and cell adhesion assays indicated that fraxetin could significantly decrease the adhesion ability of S. agalactiae in a dose-dependent manner. The results were further proven by immunofluorescence staining. Animal challenge results showed that treatment with fraxetin could reduce the mortality of tilapia infected with S. agalactiae to 46.67%, indicating that fraxetin could provide a significant amount of protection to tilapia by inactivating SrtA. Taken together, these findings provided a novel inhibitor of S. agalactiae SrtA and a promising candidate for treating S. agalactiae infections in aquaculture.

In-situ layerwise imaging measurement of laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) provides a wealth of forming and defect data which enables monitoring of components quality and powder bed homogeneity. Using high-resolution camera layerwise imaging and image processing algorithms to monitor fusion area and powder bed geometric defects has been studied by many researchers, which successfully monitored the contours of components and evaluated their accuracy. However, research for the methods of in-situ 3D contour measurement or component edge warping identification is rare. In this study, a 3D contour measurement method combining gray intensity and phase difference is proposed, and its accuracy is verified by designed experiments. The results show that the high-precision of the 3D contours can be achieved by the constructed energy minimization function. This method can detect the deviations of common geometric features as well as warpage at LPBF component edges, and provides fundamental data for in-situ quality monitoring tools.

This study presents a novel method for assessing landslide hazards along highways using remote sensing and machine learning. We extract geospatial features such as slope, aspect, and rainfall over Guangxi, China, and apply an extreme gradient boosting model pre-trained on contiguous United States datasets. The model produces susceptibility maps that indicate landslide probability at different scales. However, the lack of accurate data on historical landslides in Guangxi challenges the model evaluation and comparison between regions. To overcome this, we calibrate the model to fit the local conditions in Guangxi. The calibrated model agrees with the observed landslide locations, implying its capability to capture regional variations in landslide mechanisms. We apply the model at a 30 m resolution along the Heba Expressway and validate it against reports from July 2021 to March 2022. The model correctly predicts five of seven landslide events in this period with a reasonable alarm rate. This framework has the potential for large-scale landslide risk management by informing transportation planning and infrastructure maintenance decisions. More data on landslide timing and human disturbance events may improve the model’s accuracy across diverse geographical areas and terrains.

Abstract Background Cardiac remodeling is one of the major risk factors for heart failure. In patients with type 2 diabetes, sodium–glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors reduce the risk of the first hospitalization for heart failure, possibly through glucose-independent mechanisms in part, but the underlying mechanisms remain largely unknown. This study aimed to shed light on the efficacy of dapagliflozin in reducing cardiac remodeling and potential mechanisms. Methods Sprague–Dawley (SD) rats, induced by chronic infusion of Angiotensin II (Ang II) at a dose of 520 ng/kg per minute for 4 weeks with ALZET® mini-osmotic pumps, were treated with either SGLT2 inhibitor dapagliflozin (DAPA) or vehicle alone. Echocardiography was performed to determine cardiac structure and function. Cardiac fibroblasts (CFs) were treated with Ang II (1 μM) with or without the indicated concentration (0.5, 1, 10 μM) of DAPA. The protein levels of collagen and TGF-β1/Smad signaling were measured along with body weight, and blood biochemical indexes. Results DAPA pretreatment resulted in the amelioration of left ventricular dysfunction in Ang II-infused SD rats without affecting blood glucose and blood pressure. Myocardial hypertrophy, fibrosis and increased collagen synthesis caused by Ang II infusion were significantly inhibited by DAPA pretreatment. In vitro, DAPA inhibit the Ang II-induced collagen production of CFs. Immunoblot with heart tissue homogenates from chronic Ang II-infused rats revealed that DAPA inhibited the activation of TGF-β1/Smads signaling. Conclusion DAPA ameliorates Ang II-induced cardiac remodeling by regulating the TGF-β1/Smad signaling in a non-glucose-lowering dependent manner.

The global pandemic of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has become an urgent public health problem. Spike (S) protein mediates the fusion between the virus and the host cell membranes, consequently emerging as an important target of drug design. The lack of comparisons of in situ full-length S homotrimer structures in different states hinders understanding the structures and revealing the function, thereby limiting the discovery and development of therapeutic agents. Here, the steady-state structures of the in situ full-length S trimer in closed and open states (Sclosed and Sopen) were modeled with the constraints of density maps, associated with the analysis of the dynamic structural differences. Subsequently, we identified various regions with structure and property differences as potential binding pockets for ligands that promote the formation of inactive trimeric protein complexes. By using virtual screening strategy and a newly defined druggable cavity, five ligands were screened with potential bioactivities. Then molecular dynamic (MD) simulations were performed on apo protein structures and ligand bound complexes to reveal the conformational changes upon ligand binding. Our simulation results revealed that sulforaphane (SFN), which has the best binding affinity, could inhibit the conformational changes of S homotrimer that would occur during the viral membrane fusion. Our results could aid in the understanding of the regulation mechanism of S trimer aggregation and the structure-activity relationship, facilitating the development of potential antiviral agents.

Cardiac injury is a common complication of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), but the exact mechanisms have not been completely elucidated. The virus receptors on subsets of cells are key determinants of susceptibility to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection. Due to its high sequence similarity to SARS-CoV, SARS-CoV-2 also utilizes ACE2 as the cell entry receptor. A growing number of studies have indicated that other receptors apart from ACE2 are involved in SARS-CoV-2 infection. This study aimed to elucidate the expression characteristics of SARS-CoV-2 cellular receptors in the heart. We first investigated ACE2 expression in a comprehensive transcriptional landscape of the human heart comprising single-nucleus RNA-seq (snRNA-seq) data for >280,000 cells. Then, the expression distributions of novel SARS-CoV-2 receptors were analyzed at the single-cell level to clarify the cardiovascular complications in COVID-19. We observed a higher percentage of ACE2-positive cells in pericytes (8.3%), fibroblasts (5.1%), and adipocytes (4.4%) in the human heart, compared to other cell types. The frequency of ACE2-positive cells in each cell type from the ventricles was significantly higher than that in the atria, suggesting that the ventricular cells are more susceptible to SARS-CoV-2 infection. The distribution patterns of other receptors (BSG, HSPA5, KREMEN1, NRP1, ANPEP, AXL) were significantly different from those of ACE2, demonstrating higher expression levels in ventricular cardiomyocytes. Moreover, our results suggest that fibroblasts and adipocytes, aside from pericytes, may be vulnerable targets for SARS-CoV-2 infection in the human heart. Our study presents potential targets for future clinical studies and interventions for cardiac injury in patients with COVID-19.

Objective: Atherosclerosis is an arterial occlusive disease with hypercholesterolemia and hypertension as common risk factors. Advanced-stage stenotic plaque, which features inflammation and necrotic core formation, is the major reason for clinical intervention. Receptor interacting serine/threonine-protein kinase 1 (RIPK1) mediates inflammation and cell death and is expressed in atherosclerotic lesions. The role of RIPK1 in advanced-stage atherosclerosis is unknown.Approach and Results: To investigate the effect of RIPK1 inhibition in advanced atherosclerotic plaque formation, we used ApoESA/SA mice, which exhibit hypercholesterolemia, and develop angiotensin-II mediated hypertension upon administration of doxycycline in drinking water. These mice readily develop severe atherosclerosis, including that in coronary arteries. Eight-week-old ApoESA/SA mice were randomized to orally receive a highly selective RIPK1 inhibitor (RIPK1i, GSK547) mixed with a western diet, or control diet. RIPK1i administration reduced atherosclerotic plaque lesion area at 2 weeks of treatment, consistent with suppressed inflammation (MCP-1, IL-1β, TNF-α) and reduced monocyte infiltration. However, administration of RIPK1i unexpectedly exacerbated atherosclerosis at 4 weeks of treatment, concomitant with increased macrophages and lipid deposition in the plaques. Incubation of isolated macrophages with oxidized LDL resulted in foam cell formation in vitro. RIPK1i treatment promoted such foam cell formation while suppressing the death of these cells. Accordingly, RIPK1i upregulated the expression of lipid metabolism-related genes (Cd36, Ppara, Lxrα, Lxrb, Srebp1c) in macrophage foam cells with ABCA1/ABCG1 unaltered. Furthermore, RIPK1i treatment inhibited ApoA1 synthesis in the liver and reduced plasma HDL levels.Conclusion: RIPK1 modulates the development of atherosclerosis in a stage-dependent manner, implicating both pro-atherosclerotic (monocyte infiltration and inflammation) and anti-atherosclerotic effects (suppressing foam cell accumulation and promoting ApoA1 synthesis). It is critical to identify an optimal therapeutic duration for potential clinical use of RIPK1 inhibitor in atherosclerosis or other related disease indications.

This paper takes the current domestic chemical industrial parks support and develop photovoltaic (PV) plants as a research background, studies the modeling mechanism of the GM (1,1) prediction model in grey system theory, it systematically analyzes the irrationality of the stipulation of GM (1,1) model for the background values and initial values during the process of modeling of chemical industrial park PV plants power prediction. In order to improve the prediction accuracy of GM (1,1) model of PV plants in the chemical industrial park, IAFSA is proposed and used to optimize the background values and initial values directly, and an improved GM (1,1) prediction model is constructed in combination with the rolling data updating mode. The example of PV plants based on chemical industrial park shows that the above-mentioned model is effective and complete, and can improve the prediction accuracy of the GM (1,1) model.

Coal fires are a common and serious problem in most coal-bearing countries. Thus, it is very important to monitor changes in coal fires. Remote sensing provides a useful technique for investigating coal fields at a large scale and for detecting coal fires. In this study, the spreading direction of a coal fire in the Wuda Coal Field (WCF), northwest China, was analyzed using multi-temporal Landsat Thematic Mapper (TM) and Enhanced Thematic Mapper (ETM+) thermal infrared (TIR) data. Using an automated method and based on the land surface temperatures (LST) that were retrieved from these thermal data, coal fires related to thermal anomalies were identified; the locations of these fires were validated using a coal fire map (CFM) that was developed via field surveys; and the cross-validation of the results was also carried out using the Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) thermal infrared images. Based on the results from longtime series of satellite TIR data set, the spreading directions of the coal fires were determined and the coal fire development on the scale of the entire coal field was predicted. The study delineated the spreading direction using the results of the coal fire dynamics analysis, and a coal fire spreading direction map was generated. The results showed that the coal fires primarily spread north or northeast in the central part of the WCF and south or southwest in the southern part of the WCF. In the northern part of the WCF, some coal fires were spreading north, perhaps coinciding with the orientation of the coal belt. Certain coal fires scattered in the northern and southern parts of the WCF were extending in bilateral directions. A quantitative analysis of the coal fires was also performed; the results indicate that the area of the coal fires increased an average of approximately 0.101 km2 per year.