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Abstract Squamous promoter binding protein-like (SPL) genes encode plant-specific transcription factors (TFs) that play essential roles in modulating plant growth, development, and stress response. Pea (Pisum sativum L.) is a coarse grain crop of great importance in food production, biodiversity conservation and molecular genetic research, providing genetic information and nutritional resources for improving agricultural production and promoting human health. However, only limited researches on the structure and functions of SPL genes exist in pea (PsSPLs). In this study, we identified 22 PsSPLs and conducted a genome-wide analysis of their physical characteristics, chromosome distribution, gene structure, phylogenetic evolution and gene expression patterns. As a result, the PsSPLs were unevenly distributed on the seven chromosomes of pea and harbored the SBP domain, which is composed of approximately 76 amino acid residues. The phylogenetic analysis revealed that the PsSPLs clustered into eight subfamilies and showed high homology with SPL genes in soybean. Further analysis showed the presence of segmental duplications in the PsSPLs. The expression patterns of 22 PsSPLs at different tissues, developmental stages and under various stimulus conditions were evaluated by qRT-PCR method. It was found that the expression patterns of PsSPLs from the same subfamily were similar in different tissues, the transcripts of most PsSPLs reached the maximum peak value at 14 days after anthesis in the pod. Abiotic stresses can cause significantly up-regulated PsSPL19 expression with spatiotemporal specificity, in addition, four plant hormones can cause the up-regulated expression of most PsSPLs including PsSPL19 in a time-dependent manner. Therefore, PsSPL19 could be a key candidate gene for signal transduction during pea growth and development, pod formation, abiotic stress and plant hormone response. Our findings should provide insights for the elucidating of development regulation mechanism and breeding for resistance to abiotic stress pea.

The autogenous self-sealing model has been researched in previous work, which could help to characterize the self-sealing process with crystalline products. The model outcome was presented in the form of leakage water flow, which demonstrates the self-sealing capacity or the recovery of watertightness. While in the research area of cement-based material self-sealing, the expansive agent cannot be neglectable, for example the superabsorbent polymer (SAP). Especially for the building components exposed to free water, an efficient water flow blockage after cracking is crucial to ensure stable service. Hence in this study, the self-sealing process of a granular expansive agent inside the crack of cement-based material was simulated. The model outputs were compared with experimental results to verify the reliability. Additionally, the autogenous self-sealing model was incorporated into this model to simulate the “crystallization-expansion” synergetic self-sealing. The contribution of crystalline product and expanded EA to water flow blockage were compared during the crystallizing process. Overall, this model is of great use to evaluate the role of expansive agent on water flow blockage after the cement-based material cracking in hydraulic engineering or engineering components exposed to water.

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a prevalent clinical condition affecting the entire joint, characterized by its multifactorial etiology and complex pathophysiology. The onset of OA is linked to inflammatory mediators produced by the synovium, cartilage, and subchondral bone, all of which are closely tied to cartilage degradation. Consequently, OA may also be viewed as a systemic inflammatory disorder. Emerging studies have underscored the significance of T cells in the development of OA. Notably, imbalances in Th1/Th2 and Th17/Treg immune cells may play a crucial role in the pathogenesis of OA. This review aims to compile recent advancements in understanding the role of T cells and their Th/Treg subsets in OA, examines the immune alterations and contributions of Th/Treg cells to OA progression, and proposes novel directions for future research, including potential therapeutic strategies for OA.

Abstract Background Increasing evidence indicates that gut microbiota are closely related to prostate cancer. This study aims to assess the gut microbiota composition in patients with prostate cancer compared to healthy participants, thereby advancing understanding of gut microbiota's role in prostate cancer. Methods A systematic search was conducted across PubMed, Web of Science, and Embase databases, in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. The methodological quality of included studies was evaluated using the Newcastle–Ottawa Scale (NOS), and pertinent data were analyzed. The kappa score assessed interrater agreement. Results This study encompassed seven research papers, involving 250 prostate cancer patients and 192 controls. The kappa was 0.93. Meta-analysis results showed that alpha-diversity of gut microbiota in prostate cancer patients was significantly lower than in the control group. In terms of gut microbiota abundance, the ratio of Proteobacteria, Bacteroidia, Clostridia, Bacteroidales, Clostridiales, Prevotellaceae, Lachnospiraceae, Prevotella, Escherichia-Shigella, Faecalibacterium, and Bacteroides was higher in prostate cancer patients. Conversely, the abundance ratio of Actinobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Firmicutes, Selenomonadales, Veillonella, and Megasphaera was higher in the control group. Conclusion Our study reveals differences in alpha-diversity and abundance of gut microbiota between patients with prostate cancer and controls, indicating gut microbiota dysbiosis in those with prostate cancer. However, given the limited quality and quantity of selected studies, further research is necessary to validate these findings.

Abstract The Sabatier principle is widely explored in heterogeneous catalysis, graphically depicted in volcano plots. The most desirable activity is located at the peak of the volcano, and further advances in activity past this optimum are possible by designing a catalyst that circumvents the limitation entailed by the Sabatier principle. Herein, by density functional theory calculations, we discovered an unusual Sabatier principle on high entropy alloy (HEA) surface, distinguishing the “just right” (ΔG H* = 0 eV) in the Sabatier principle of hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). A new descriptor was proposed to design HEA catalysts for HER. As a proof-of-concept, the synthesized PtFeCoNiCu HEA catalyst endows a high catalytic performance for HER with an overpotential of 10.8 mV at −10 mA cm−2 and 4.6 times higher intrinsic activity over the state-of-the-art Pt/C. Moreover, the unusual Sabatier principle on HEA catalysts can be extended to other catalytic reactions.

Ice cementation and ice-substrate adfreeze force are the primary contributors to the high bearing capacity of pile foundations in cold regions and the stability of frozen walls in areas subjected to artificial freezing. Given the significant temperature sensitivity of ice’s shear rheology, engineering structures in ice or ice-rich soils continue to deform even under constant external loads. A thorough understanding of shear creep and the long-term adfreeze force at the ice-substrate interface is essential for predicting the continuous deformation of these structures. However, research into the shear creep behavior at frozen interfaces has historically been constrained by the precision of temperature control in experimental settings and the complexity of load paths in shear testing devices. In this study, a temperature- and stress-control device for interface shear creep is assembled firstly, and multilevel loading-unloading creep tests on steel pipes embedded in layered frozen ice were conducted. Through the decoupling of deformation progression, the viscoelastic and viscoplastic shear behaviors at the steel-ice interface under various temperatures and shear stresses were characterized, the principle of sustainable interfacial shear creep along with its underlying physical mechanism were proposed. Subsequently, with the aid of a modified nonlinear Burger model, various interfacial shear creep parameters were derived. Results reveal that the interfacial generalized shear modulus continuously improves but with a gradually weakening degree until a point of accelerating creep is reached. Additionally, the long-term adfreeze force is found to be less than half of the short-term strength, which significantly decreases as the temperature approaches the water phase transition zone. Interestingly, the stress exponent associated with the interfacial steady creep rate is considerably smaller than that predicted by Glen’s law. This research provides a theoretical basis instrumental in the engineering design in cold regions and those structures employing artificial freezing techniques.

Surface coal mining in semi-arid regions has detrimental impacts on the structure and function of surface ecosystems, thereby impeding the attainment of regional sustainable development goals. Moreover, the impact of climate change on ecological restoration in semi-arid mining areas is an inevitable consideration. To elucidate the response of ecosystem services in mining areas to regional climate change, topography, soil, vegetation and socioeconomic development, this study selected six large-scale surface coal mines located in semi-arid regions of China as research objects. In this study, we aimed to assess the main ecosystem services (carbon sequestration, soil conservation, and flow regulation) provided by these mines. In addition, we analysed the spatial and temporal evolution and interrelationships of these ecosystem services. Furthermore, we explored the underlying mechanisms between ecosystem services and environmental factors. The results showed the following: (1) Geospatially, there was a gradual decrease in carbon sequestration and flow regulation from northeast to southwest in the mining areas. However, the soil conservation exhibited an upward trend. Throughout the research period, the carbon sequestration change rate in the six mining areas displayed an initial downward and subsequent upward trend, the rate of soil conservation exhibited a gradual upward trend, and the flow regulation decline rate followed a downward trend. (2) Change rate of carbon sequestration and soil conservation in the six mining areas showed a significant positive correlation (r = 0.51, p < 0.001), with the strongest correlation observed in the Shengli Mining Area (r = 0.64, p < 0.001). (3) Ecosystem service changes in the mining areas were primarily driven by initial conditions (95.0%), followed by meteorological factors (4.2%). Three ecological restoration models were proposed for the different regions based on driver analyses. The findings of this study offer scientific evidence that can be used to inform ecological management, enhance ecological security, and promote regional sustainable development in mining areas.

In agricultural landscapes, patches containing diverse species can serve as nodes, and species diffusion among these patches can serve as edges, forming metapopulation networks. However, the impact of landscape fragmentation on these networks and consequences for keystone crop species remain unclear. Here, we investigated thrips (pests) and lacewings (natural predators) in mango orchards and surrounding habitats across 15 landscapes. Using a machine learning neural network, we built metapopulation networks for thrips and lacewings based on the relationship between patch properties and species abundance. We evaluated these networks with metrics like clustering coefficient, strength, and path length. Furthermore, we analyzed the effects of landscape fragmentation, as indicated by edge density and landscape Shannon diversity, on network structures and the subsequent effect on species abundance using piecewise structural equation modeling. The results show that the neural network effectively constructed the metapopulation network, accurately predicting lacewing and thrips abundance in various patches with an accuracy rate exceeding 80%. Positive correlations were observed between edge density and network strength for both species. However, a positive relationship between landscape Shannon diversity and network path length was identified only for lacewings. Edge density had a greater impact on lacewings and thrips compared to landscape Shannon diversity, with a negative effect on lacewings and a positive effect on thrips. Edge density affected lacewing abundance both directly and indirectly through network strength. However, no network structure mediated the effect of landscape fragmentation on thrips abundance. Our conclusion highlights that the effects of landscape fragmentation on species are primarily driven by edge effects. These effects were clarified by the metapopulation network structure, which varied depending on the species. The findings provide new perspectives on metapopulation networks to unlock the landscape fragmentation effects.

Using a combination of experiments and first-principles calculations, we systematically investigated the influence of Mn and Si on the ferrite decarburization process in spring steel. The experimental findings demonstrated that the presence of Mn inhibited the ferrite decarburization of spring steel, and this inhibition effect was further enhanced when Mn and Si were mixed. The calculation results revealed the following insights: (1) In α-Fe, the interactions between Mn and neighboring carbon atoms were primarily weakly mutually attractive, while the interaction between Si and neighboring carbon atoms changed from repulsion to weak attraction with increasing distance. (2) The introduction of Mn raised the energy barrier for the outward diffusion of the carbon in α-Fe, thereby impeding its diffusion. (3) The coexistence of Mn and Si in α-Fe to formed an Mn–Si pair, resulting in a more pronounced inhibition of the outward diffusion of the carbon. These results significantly contribute to a deeper understanding of how alloying elements influence the decarburization process in steels and shed light on potential strategies for optimizing this aspect in steel production.

Abstract Background The advantages and disadvantages of retrograde intrarenal surgery (RIRS) and minimally invasive percutaneous nephrolithotomy (mPCNL) for treatment of upper urinary tract calculi have not been conclusively determined. Methods In this meta-analysis, We comprehensively evaluated the performance of the two surgical approaches in treatment of upper urinary calculi. We searched the Pubmed, Embase, Cochrane and Web of science databases for randomized controlled trial (RCT) articles on RIRS and mPCNL upto December 2022. Data were extracted by two independent reviewers and subjected to the meta-analysis using the Stata 15.1 software (StataSE, USA). Results A total of 18 eligible RCTs involving 1733 patients were included in this study. The meta-analysis revealed that mPCNL of 1–2 cm or 2–3 cm stones had a higher stone clearance rate (RR:1.08, 95%CI (1.03, 1.14), p = 0.002) and shorter operation time (WMD : -10.85 min, 95%CI (-16.76, -4.94), p

The cellular automata-lattice Boltzmann method is used to simulate the dendritic growth process of aluminum alloys under the action of hypergravity by performing coupling heat and mass transfer, solidification and flow. The dendrite arm spacing, growth rate, and dendrite morphology vary greatly with the size and direction of hypergravity, and solute segregation occurs. Compared with the gravity of the earth (1 g), hypergravity strongly strengthens the buoyancy-driven flow and considerably affects the morphology of the solidified grain. The dendritic growth rate is also accelerating. According to the direction of hypergravity in relation to the dendritic growth direction, there exist different flow states that show stable or unstable dendritic growth dynamics. For columnar crystal growth, when the hypergravity and growth direction are identical, the dendrite tip undergoes downward melt flow, and the dendrite grows in a stable manner. When the hypergravity and the growth direction are opposite, the dendrite tip undergoes upward melt flow, the dendrite grows in an unstable manner, and the primary dendrite spacing decreases. For the growth of equiaxed crystals, the convection induced by hypergravity causes the equiaxed crystals to be asymmetric, and the solute segregates in the direction of gravity. Channel segregation occurs in the mushy zone in the presence of equiaxed crystal chains.

Ternary cathode materials hold great promise in the lithium battery market, yet analyses regarding their calcination process in simulation and on-site experimentation, are few. In this paper, a multiphysics-coupled computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model was developed to simulate the primary calcination process (The actual production process is divided into two calcinations, because the production conditions affect the measurement, this paper focuses on the analysis of the primary calcination process) of lithium battery raw materials (namely, Ni0.8Co0.1Mn0.1(OH)2 and LiOH∙H2O mixture, hereinafter referred to as raw materials) under oxidizing atmosphere conditions. The process involves fluid flow, heat and mass transfer, and chemical reactions. A new method which combined steady-state calculation with transient calculation was adopted. Firstly, the steady-state simulation of the whole furnace was carried out, and then the transient simulation of each furnace area is carried out consequently, the heat and mass transfer processes of raw materials in different furnace zones were solved, ultimately achieving the simulation of the entire furnace calcination process. On-site black box experiments were performed to obtain the temperature evolution during the calcination process. Meanwhile, compared with the calculated results of the model, it was found that the average hit rate with an absolute error of less than ±20 °C above 300 °C can reach 86.9%, confirming the applicability of the model. The multiphysics-coupled CFD model simultaneously solves the oxygen concentration. The process parameters were analyzed based on the model, providing a fundamental method for the improvement of the performance of lithium battery cathode materials calcination process.

Low-frequency power oscillations in power systems have always been a serious risk for a stable power system. A fuzzy logic power system stabilizer (FLPSS) is proposed to mitigate system oscillation problems. Aimed at parameter configuration and rule setting of FLPSS, Grey Wolf Optimizer (GWO) based FLPSS is utilized to achieve quicker settling time and improve the damping oscillation effectiveness. Comparative studies between the proposed GWO-based FLPSS and conventional stabilizers are performed on a single-machine infinite bus system(SMIBS). The simulation results demonstrate the GWO-based FLPSS can better dampen out low-frequency oscillations and maintain the electricity network stability.

Abstract Objectives Comparing stone-free rates and associated outcome measures between two surgical modalities of lithotripsy fragmentation and removal or spontaneous passage of dust during retrograde intrarenal surgery (RIRS). Methods In March 2023, we conducted a literature search in several widely used databases worldwide, including PubMed, Embase, and Google Scholar. We only considered English articles and excluded pediatric patients. Reviews and protocols without any published data were excluded. We also excluded articles with conference abstracts and irrelevant content. We used the Cochran-Mantel–Haenszel method and random-effects models to assess inverse variances and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for mean differences in categorical variables. The results were reported as odds ratios (ORs) and 95% CIs. Statistical significance was set at p

Vegetation primarily draws water from soil moisture (SM), with restoration in drylands often reducing SM storage (SMS). However, anomalies have been detected in the Beijing–Tianjin Sand Source Region (BTSSR) of China via the Global Land Data Assimilation System (GLDAS) and Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE). This study quantified the sources of increased SMS in drylands to elucidate the effects of vegetation restoration on SMS. The results indicated the following: (1) In vegetated drylands, 46.2% experienced a significant increase in SMS while 53.8% remained stable; both were positively correlated with the normalised difference vegetation index (NDVI). (2) The increase in SMS was accompanied by a decrease in groundwater storage (GWS), as indicated by the significant correlation coefficients of −0.710 and −0.569 for SMS and GWS, respectively. Furthermore, GWS served as the primary source of water for vegetation. (3) The results of the redundancy analysis (RDA) indicated that the initial vegetation, the driver of the observed trend of increased SMS and decreased GWS, accounted for 50.3% of the variability in water storage. Therefore, to sustain dryland ecosystems, we recommend that future vegetation restoration projects give due consideration to the water balance while concurrently strengthening the dynamic monitoring of SMS and GWS.

Background: Metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) presents significant treatment selection challenges due to limited therapeutic options. This study aimed to comprehensively assess the efficacy of multiple treatment regimens for mCRPC through a network meta-analysis (NMA) of randomized controlled trials (RCTs).Methods: A systematically comprehensive search for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) was performed in Pubmed, Cochrane Library, Embase, and Web of Science databases. The network meta-analysis was employed to compare the overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS), and radiographic progression-free survival (rPFS) among different interventions at specific time points. This study was prospectively registered with PROSPERO (CRD42023422823).Results: A total of 29 RCTs, involving 12,706 patients and investigating 16 interventions, were included in the analysis. Chempretarget ((capivasertib or cabozantinib) + docetaxel + prednisone)) and PARP (Olaparib or rucaparib) inhibitors emerged as interventions that significantly improved survival outcomes compared to first-line treatment in mCRPC patients. Chempretarget demonstrated superior overall survival starting from the 12th month, while PARP inhibitors showed a clear advantage in progression-free survival within the 3–18 months range. Notably, chempre ((Docetaxel or Cabazitaxel) + prednisone) exhibited favorable performance in radiographic progression-free survival during the 3–18 month period.Conclusion: Our findings underscore the efficacy of chempretarget, PARP inhibitors, and chempre in enhancing survival outcomes for mCRPC patients. Further head-to-head comparisons are warranted to validate these results. These findings carry important implications for treatment decision-making in mCRPC and may guide the development of more effective therapeutic strategies.

Annealing is necessary to reduce the residual stress and no-load loss of 3D coil core. In production, because monitoring the changes in temperature and stress of 3D coil core in real time is impossible, the trial and error method is usually used to formulate the annealing process parameters. The annealing simulation experiment of grain-oriented electrical steel (GOES) is carried out to explore the influence of soaking time on iron loss and magnetic flux density. The mechanical properties of GOES are tested, and the true stress–strain curves at different temperatures are obtained. Based on the existing research and experimental results, an anisotropic thermal mechanical coupling model of 3D coil core is established. An optimization scheme of 3D coil core annealing process is obtained, considering the temperature difference, stress and strain. According to the onsite measured parameters, the annealing process is simulated and optimized by the coupling model. Results show that the total annealing time is shortened by about 18.7% without increasing the stress and strain.

BackgroundPanurothelial carcinoma is a rare and aggressive malignancy that requires effective treatment strategies to enhance patient outcomes.MethodsWe conducted a systematic search of English publications in databases including PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science up to May 2023. The quality of the literature was assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS) and the Methodological Quality and Synthesis of Case Series and Case Reports tool. Data statistics and analysis were performed using Stata 15.1 software (StataSE, USA).ResultsSix studies involving 339 patients were included in the analysis. Meta-analysis revealed that Simultaneous Radical Cystectomy and Nephroureterectomy had 2-year and 5-year overall survival rates of 68% (95% CI 60%-76%, I2 = 12.4%, P < 0.001) and 44% (95% CI 36%-53%, I2 = 0, P < 0.001), respectively. The 2-year and 5-year progression-free survival rates were 91% (95% CI 86%-95%, I2 = 95%, P < 0.001) and 65% (95% CI 58%-73%, I2 = 91.5%, P < 0.001), respectively. The 2-year and 5-year cancer-specific survival rates were 73% (95% CI 66%-81%, I2 = 16.7%, P < 0.001) and 57% (95% CI 49%-66%, I2 = 0, P < 0.001), respectively. Additionally, the incidence of minor complications was 19% (95% CI 15%-23%, P < 0.01), major complications was 49% (95% CI 34%-63%, P < 0.01), and the intraoperative blood transfusion rate was 53% (95% CI 44%-61%, P < 0.01).ConclusionsSimultaneous radical cystectomy and nephroureterectomy represent feasible approaches for the treatment of Panurothelial carcinoma. Nonetheless, a comprehensive assessment of the surgical risks and benefits is imperative, and larger-scale prospective cohort studies are required to validate therapeutic efficacy. Systematic review registrationhttps://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO, identifier CRD42023426401.

We proposed a novel rotating-drum technology for drying converter sludge with high efficiency and low cost. This study aimed to investigate the drying energy efficiency of our technology and the effect of sludge treatment mass (ms0 = 3.0–9.0 kg), steel ball temperature (Tb0 = 300–500 °C), steel ball diameter (d = 20–40 mm), and drum rotating speed (n = 1–7 rpm). The evaluation criteria of energy efficiency included energy utilization rate (ηb), specific energy consumption (SEC), drying rate (DR), etc. Results showed that appropriately increasing ms0 and decreasing Tb0 can increase ηb and reduce SEC, but also reduced DR. Selecting appropriate d and n can not only increase ηb and DR, but also reduce SEC. Under our experimental conditions, ηb is 50–95%, SEC is 0.8–1.5 kW·h/kgw, and DR is 1.0 × 10−4–1.8 × 10−3 g/(g·s). The improved self-scaling method was used to evaluate the energy efficiency under the studied working conditions, and the comprehensive optimal combination of operating parameters was obtained in our experiments, which can be achieved ηb > 78%, SEC 9.9 × 10−4 g/(g·s).

Summary: Active components with suitable supports are the common paradigm for industrial catalysis, and the catalytic activity usually increases with minimizing the active component size, generating a new frontier in catalysis, single-atom catalysts (SACs). However, further improvement of SACs activity is limited by the relatively low loading of single atoms (SAs, which are heteroatoms for most SACs, i.e., external active sites) because of the highly favorable aggregation of single heteroatoms during preparation. Research interest should be shifted to investigate SACs with intrinsic SAs, which could circumvent the aggregation of external SAs and consequently increase the SAs loading while maintaining them individual to further improve the activity. In this review, SACs with external or intrinsic SAs are discussed and, at last, the perspectives and challenges for obtaining high-loading SACs with intrinsic SAs are outlined.

ObjectivesThe perioperative, functional, and oncological outcomes of patients with solitary small renal tumors (SRMs) treated with ablation (AT) or partial nephrectomy (PN) remain controversial. The aim of this study was to compare the outcomes of these two surgical techniques.MethodsIn April 2023, we conducted a literature search in several widely used databases worldwide, including PubMed, Embase, and Google Scholar. Review Manager was used to compare various parameters. The study was registered with PROSPERO (CRD42022377157).ResultsOur final meta-analysis included 13 cohort studies with a total of 2,107 patients. Compared to partial nephrectomy (PN), ablation (AT) had shorter hospital stays (WMD -2.37 days, 95% CI -3.05 to -1.69; p < 0.00001), shorter operating times (WMD -57.06 min, 95% CI -88.92 to -25.19; p = 0.0004), less postoperative creatinine increases (WMD -0.17 mg/dL, 95% CI -0.29 to -0.05; p = 0.006), less postoperative glomerular filtration rate decreases (WMD -9.84 mL/min/1.73 m2, 95% CI -14.25 to -5.44; p < 0.0001), less postoperative new-onset chronic kidney disease (OR 0.33, 95% CI 0.16 to 0.71; p = 0.005), and less intraoperative blood loss (WMD -285.92 ml, 95% CI -428.44 to -143.40; p < 0.0001). The transfusion rate was lower in the ablation group (OR 0.17, 95% CI 0.06 to 0.51; p = 0.001). The risk of local recurrence was higher in the ablation group (OR 2.96, 95% CI 1.27 to 6.89; p = 0.01), while the risk of distant metastasis was higher in the partial nephrectomy group (OR 2.81, 95% CI 1.28 to 6.18; p = 0.01). The intraoperative and postoperative complication rates were lower in the ablation group (OR 0.23, 95% CI 0.08 to 0.62; p = 0.004 and OR 0.21, 95% CI 0.11 to 0.38; p < 0.00001, respectively). However, overall survival, postoperative dialysis rate, and tumor-specific survival were not different between the two groups.ConclusionsOur data suggest that ablation and partial nephrectomy are equally safe and effective in the treatment of small solitary kidney tumors and are better options for patients with poor preoperative physical condition or poor renal function.

Purpose: Thyroid-associated ophthalmopathy (TAO) is an autoimmune disease that affects the orbit and is the most prevalent extra-thyroidal complication of Graves’ disease. Previous neuroimaging studies have focused on abnormal static regional activity and functional connectivity in patients with TAO. However, the characteristics of local brain activity over time are poorly understood. This study aimed to investigate alterations in the dynamic amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (dALFF) in patients with active TAO and to distinguish patients with TAO from healthy controls (HCs) using a support vector machine (SVM) classifier.Methods: A total of 21 patients with TAO and 21 HCs underwent resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging scans. dALFFs were calculated in conjunction with sliding window approaches to assess dynamic regional brain activity and to compare the groups. Then, we used SVM, a machine learning algorithm, to determine whether dALFF maps may be used as diagnostic indicators for TAO.Results: Compared with HCs, patients with active TAO showed decreased dALFF in the right calcarine, lingual gyrus, superior parietal lobule, and precuneus. The SVM model showed an accuracy of 45.24%–47.62% and area under the curve of 0.35–0.44 in distinguishing TAO from HCs. No correlation was found between clinical variables and regional dALFF.Conclusion: Patients with active TAO showed altered dALFF in the visual cortex and the ventral and dorsal visual pathways, providing further details on the pathogenesis of TAO.

BackgroundThe nerve-sparing (NS) effect of robot-assisted radical prostatectomy (RARP) on patients with a high-risk prostate cancer remains unclear. The objective of this study was to compare the urinary continence, erectile function and oncology outcomes of the nerve-sparing and non-nerve-sparing (NNS) group during RARP surgeries.MethodsWe systematically searched databases including PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library and Web of Science to identify relevant studies published in English up to December 2022. Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS) was used as a quality evaluation tool to evaluate the quality of the literature parameters involved, including urinary continence, erectile function and oncologic outcomes, which were compared using the Stata 15.1 software (StataSE, USA).ResultsA total of 8 cohort studies involving 2499 patients were included. A meta-analysis of results showed that the NS group was beneficial to the recovery of urinary continence (RR 0.46, 95%CI 0.22, 0.96; p=0.045

The influence of the thermal conductivity of silica bricks on the coking process as an important component of the coking and combustion chambers is still unclear. A multi-chamber coupling mathematical model of a coke oven is developed to investigate the energy-saving effect of using high thermal conductivity silica bricks in the coke oven. The model is validated using measured temperatures of coal and flue gas bed in a coke oven in operation for a coking cycle. Temperature variation and its distribution in the coking chamber, combustion chamber, and heating wall are simulated for the coke oven using silica bricks with different thermal conductivities. The obtained results showed that compared with the use of common silica bricks, coking time of one cycle can be reduced by ∼60 min, with a decreased consumption of fuel gas by ∼4.9%. The enhancement of heat transfer from the flue gas to the heating wall and the heating wall to coal using silicon bricks with high thermal conductivity can effectively shorten not only the temperature difference between the two sides of the heating wall but also reduce the mean flue temperature of the flue gas by ∼24.5 °C.

Abstract Multiple myeloma (MM) is a malignant plasma cell cancer. Mutations in RAS pathway genes are prevalent in advanced and proteasome inhibitor (PI) refractory MM. As such, we recently developed a VQ MM mouse model recapitulating human advanced/high-risk MM. Using VQ MM cell lines we conducted a repurposing screen of 147 FDA-approved anti-cancer drugs with or without trametinib (Tra), a MEK inhibitor. Consistent with its high-risk molecular feature, VQ MM displayed reduced responses to PIs and de novo resistance to the BCL2 inhibitor, venetoclax. Ponatinib (Pon) is the only tyrosine kinase inhibitor that showed moderate MM killing activity as a single agent and strong synergism with Tra in vitro. Combined Tra and Pon treatment significantly prolonged the survival of VQ MM mice regardless of treatment schemes. However, this survival benefit was moderate compared to that of Tra alone. Further testing of Tra and Pon on cytotoxic CD8+ T cells showed that Pon, but not Tra, blocked T cell function in vitro, suggesting that the negative impact of Pon on T cells may partially counteract its MM-killing synergism with Tra in vivo. Our study provides strong rational to comprehensively evaluate agents on both MM cells and anti-MM immune cells during therapy development.

Abstract Background It is yet unknown if the whole-brain resting-state network is altered in multiple system atrophy with symptoms of depression. This study aimed to investigate if and how depression symptoms in multiple system atrophy are associated with resting-state network dysfunction. Methods We assessed the resting-state functional network matric using Degree centrality (DC) coupling with a second ROI-wise functional connectivity (FC) algorithm in a multimodal imaging case-control study that enrolled 32 multiple system atrophy patients with depression symptoms (MSA-D), 30 multiple system atrophy patients without depression symptoms (MSA-ND), and 34 healthy controls (HC). Results Compared to HC, MSA-D showed more extensive DC hub dysfunction in the left precentral and right middle frontal cortex than MSA-ND. A direct comparison between MSA-D and MSA-ND detected increased DC in the right anterior cingulum cortex, but decreased DC in the left cerebellum lobule IV and lobule V, left middle pole temporal cortex, and right superior frontal cortex. Only right anterior cingulum cortex mean DC values showed a positive correlation with depression severity, and used ACC as seed, a second ROI-wise functional connectivity further revealed MSA-D patients showed decreased connectivity between the ACC and right thalamus and right middle temporal gyrus (MTG). Conclusions These findings revealed that dysfunction of rACC, right middle temporal lobe and right thalamus involved in depressed MSA. Our study might help to the understanding of the neuropathological mechanism of depression in MSA.

BackgroundThe effect of perioperative blood transfusion (PBT) on postoperative survival in RCC patients who underwent partial nephrectomy (PN) or radical nephrectomy (RN) remains controversial. Two meta-analyses in 2018 and 2019 reported the postoperative mortality of PBT patients with RCC, but they did not investigate the effect on the survival of patients. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of relevant literature to demonstrate whether PBT affected postoperative survival in RCC patients who received nephrectomy.MethodsPubmed, Web of Science, Cochrane, and Embase databases were searched. Studies comparing RCC patients with or without PBT following either RN or PN were included in this analysis. Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS) was used to evaluate the quality of the included literature, and hazard ratios (HRs) of overall survival (OS), recurrence-free survival (RFS), and cancer-specific survival (CSS), as well as 95% confidence intervals, were considered as effect sizes. All data were processed using Stata 15.1.ResultsTen retrospective studies involving 19,240 patients were included in this analysis, with the publication dates ranging from 2014 to 2022. Evidence revealed that PBT was significantly associated with the decline of OS (HR, 2.62; 95%CI: 1,98-3.46), RFS (HR, 2.55; 95%CI: 1.74-3.75), and CSS (HR, 3.15; 95%CI: 2.3-4.31) values. There was high heterogeneity among the study results due to the retrospective nature and the low quality of the included studies. Subgroup analysis findings suggested that the heterogeneity of this study might be caused by different tumor stages in the included articles. Evidence implied that PBT had no significant influence on RFS and CSS with or without robotic assistance, but it was still linked to worse OS (combined HR; 2.54 95% CI: 1.18, 5.47). Furthermore, the subgroup analysis with intraoperative blood loss lower than 800 ML revealed that PBT had no substantial impact on OS and CSS of postoperative RCC patients, whereas it was correlated with poor RFS (1.42, 95% CI: 1.02-1.97).ConclusionsRCC patients undergoing PBT after nephrectomy had poorer survival.Systematic Review Registrationhttps://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/, identifier CRD42022363106.

Landscape structures affect pests, depending on compositional heterogeneity (the number and proportions of different habitats), configurational heterogeneity (spatial arrangement of habitats), and spatial scales. However, there is limited information on the relative effects of compositional and configurational heterogeneity on invasive pests and their associates (species that can benefit from invasive pests), and how they vary across spatial scales. In this study, we assayed the invasive pest Bactrocera dorsalis (Hendel) and its associated fly Drosophila melanogaster in 15 landscapes centered on mango orchards. We calculated landscape composition (forest percentage, mango percentage, and Shannon's diversity) and configuration (edge density) using two methods: spatial distance scales and combined scales. Spatial distance scales included buffer rings with radii of 0.5, 1.0, and 1.5 km, and combined scales referred to cutting or not cutting a smaller ring from larger ones. Our results shown that compositional heterogeneity positively affected B. dorsalis and D. melanogaster due to forest cover percentage, whereas configurational heterogeneity with high edge density negative effect on B. dorsalis. Forest cover had less of an effect on B. dorsalis than configurational heterogeneity, but the opposite effect was observed for D. melanogaster. Importantly, the direction and strength of forest cover and configurational heterogeneity to species did not vary with spatial distance scales or spatial combined scales. Thus, compositional and configurational heterogeneity exhibit differential effects on this invasive pest and its associator, and revealed that the relative effects of landscape structures are consistent across multiple scales. These results provide new insights into landscape effects on interconnected species using a diverse spatial-scale approach.

BackgroundThe early diagnosis of autism in children is particularly important. However, there is no obvious objective indices for the diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), especially in toddlers aged 1–3 years with language development delay (LDD). The early differential diagnosis of ASD is challenging.ObjectiveTo examine differences in the dynamic characteristics of regional neural activity in toddlers with ASD and LDD, and whether the differences can be used as an imaging biomarker for the early differential diagnosis of ASD and LDD.MethodsDynamic regional homogeneity (dReHo) and dynamic amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations (dALFF) in 55 children with ASD and 31 with LDD, aged 1–3 years, were compared. The correlations between ASD symptoms and the values of dReHo/dALFF within regions showing significant between-group differences were analyzed in ASD group. We further assessed the accuracy of dynamic regional neural activity alterations to distinguish ASD from LDD using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis.ResultsCompared with the LDD group, the ASD group showed increased dReHo in the left cerebellum_8/Crust2 and right cerebellum_Crust2, and decreased dReHo in the right middle frontal gyrus (MFG) and post-central gyrus. Patients with ASD also exhibited decreased dALFF in the right middle temporal gyrus (MFG) and right precuneus. Moreover, the Childhood Autism Rating Scale score was negatively correlated with the dReHo of the left cerebellum_8/crust2 and right cerebellum_crust2. The dReHo value of the right MFG was negatively correlated with social self-help of the Autism Behavior Checklist score.ConclusionThe pattern of resting-state regional neural activity variability was different between toddlers with ASD and those with LDD. Dynamic regional indices might be novel neuroimaging biomarkers that allow differentiation of ASD from LDD in toddlers.

ObjectiveThe aim of the study was to establish and study an intrahepatic portal vein infection hepatic alveolar echinococcosis (HAE) C57 mouse model and provide a theoretical basis for clinical research on HAE.MethodsC57 mice were used to establish the HAE mouse model. The location, size, morphology, appearance, and pathological changes in liver lesions in different groups of mice were characterized using ultrasound, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and haematoxylin and eosin staining.ResultsThe mortality rate of the C57 mice was 20%, and the success rate of infection was 75%. The abdominal ultrasound images and MRIs clearly indicated the location, size, shape, and appearance of the liver lesions and the relationship between the lesions and the adjacent organs. The size, morphology, and signal of the livers in the control group were normal. The pathological results of the experimental group indicated a hepatic vesicular acinar cyst, while those of the control group exhibited normal livers.ConclusionThe intrahepatic portal vein infection HAE mouse model was successfully established.

Slag mixing technique is a process that eliminates the lumping phenomenon of slag and iron in desulfurization slag. This process is conducted by mixing the high-temperature converter slag and iron desulfurization slag. The slag crushing difficulty is remarkably reduced after mixing. This technique eliminates the lumping phenomenon in the iron desulfurization slag. A numerical model based on Eulerian multiphase flow was established for the mixing process. The model obtained the characteristics of the phase field distribution inside the slag tank. The slag expansion phenomenon was identical with experimental results. A simplified temperature dropping model of slag mixing process was established based on the principle of energy conservation. According to this simplified model, the time dependence of the chemical reaction rate and temperature was investigated. The simplified model built by multifactor regression method can effectively predict the chemical reaction rate and temperature change under the following conditions: converter slag with an initial mass of 4–12 t, an initial iron oxide content of 20%–40%, an iron desulfurization slag mixing volume of 1–5 t, and an iron desulfurization slag mass flow rate of 0.1–1 t/s. The simplified model provides basic physical parameters for post-processing while ensuring safe production.

Abstract Background The B3 superfamily (B3s) represents a class of large plant-specific transcription factors, which play diverse roles in plant growth and development process including flowering induction. However, identification and functional surveys of B3 superfamily have not been reported in ethylene-induced pineapple flowering (Ananas comosus). Results 57 B3 genes containing B3 domain were identified and phylogenetically classified into five subfamilies. Chromosomal localization analysis revealed that 54 of 57 AcB3s were located on 21 Linkage Groups (LG). Collinearity analysis demonstrated that the segmental duplication was the main event in the evolution of B3 gene superfamily, and most of them were under purifying selection. The analysis of cis-element composition suggested that most of these genes may have function in response to abscisic acid, ethylene, MeJA, light, and abiotic stress. qRT-PCR analysis of 40 AcB3s containing ethylene responsive elements exhibited that the expression levels of 35 genes were up-regulated within 1 d after ethephon treatment and some were highly expressed in flower bud differentiation period in stem apex, such as Aco012003, Aco019552 and Aco014401. Conclusion This study provides a basic information of AcB3s and clues for involvement of some AcB3s in ethylene-induced flowering in pineapple.

A variety of fuzzy multiple criteria decision making (MCDM) models have been proposed to solve complicated decision-making problems. Many applications have been achieved, especially in the field of civil engineering. To analyze the developments about the fuzzy MCDM methods and their applications in civil engineering in recent years and further explore the future research directions, this study conducts a state of the art survey in which 52 journal papers focusing on the applications of fuzzy MCDM models in civil engineering from 2016 to 2020 are reviewed. We respectively classify these articles according to research problems and research methods. Through the literature review, we get findings in terms of the most concerned decision-making problem, the most widely-used evaluation criterion and the most popular fuzzy MCDM model. Furthermore, we present four aspects of research challenges and corresponding future research directions in the field of civil engineering, which may be helpful for researchers and practitioners to further investigate.

We herein report a rare case of leiomyoma of the urethra. A young woman with no history of malignancy was referred to our hospital because of a 1-year history of frequent urination, urgency, and dysuria. Postoperative pathologic examination confirmed the diagnosis of urethral leiomyoma. After tumor resection, the patient was followed up for 2 months in the outpatient department and developed no obvious postoperative complications such as urinary incontinence.

BackgroundFreezing of gait (FOG) in multiple system atrophy (MSA) is characterized by a higher risk of falls and a reduced quality of life; however, the mechanisms underlying these effects have yet to be identified by neuroimaging. The aim of this study was to investigate the differences in functional network when compared between MSA patients with and without freezing.MethodsDegree centrality (DC) based on the resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging was computed in 65 patients with MSA and 36 healthy controls. Brain regions with statistically different DC values between groups were selected as seed points for a second seed-based functional connectivity (FC) analysis. The relationships between brain activity (DC and FC alterations) and the severity of freezing symptoms were then investigated in the two groups of patients with MSA.ResultsCompared to MSA patients without FOG symptoms (MSA-nFOG), patients with MSA-FOG showed an increased DC in the left middle temporal gyrus but a reduced DC in the right superior pole temporal gyrus, left anterior cingulum cortex, left thalamus, and right middle frontal gyrus. Furthermore, in patients with MSA-FOG, the DC in the left thalamus was negatively correlated with FOG scores. Using the left thalamus as a seed, secondary seed-based functional connectivity analysis revealed that patients with MSA-FOG commonly showed the left thalamus-based FC abnormalities in regions related to cognition and emotion. In contrast to the patients with MSA-nFOG, patients with MSA-FOG showed an increased FC between the left thalamus and the left middle temporal gyrus (MTG), right inferior parietal lobule (IPL), bilateral cerebellum_8, and left precuneus.ConclusionFreezing of gait is associated with centrality of the impaired thalamus network. Abnormal FC between the thalamus and left MTG, right IPL, bilateral cerebellum_8, and left precuneus was involved in FOG. These results provide new insight into the pathophysiological mechanism of FOG in MSA.

Although biodiversity has been shown to profoundly affect ecosystem function in forests, the processes which it impacts are limited understood. Various plant species with diverse sizes interact to form complex networks to complete resource use processes, but little is known about the role of species-size networks in influencing ecosystem function and biodiversity-ecosystem function relationships. Using a dataset encompassing 423 species and 32,067 individuals, we constructed species–tree diameter and species–tree height networks for two sampling areas (0.04 and 0.09 ha), and then calculated the network modularity for species and size interlinked specialization and nestedness, species or sizes with relatively few links are a subset of those with more network links. We analyzed the relationships between modularity, nestedness, and the aboveground biomass. The direct and indirect effects of species abundance and richness on the aboveground biomass through network structures were explored using structural equation modelling. Regardless of the species–tree diameter or height network, modularity was positively associated with the aboveground biomass, independent of the sampling area, while nestedness was negatively associated. Species abundance negatively affected the modularity, but positively affected nestedness, whereas species richness had the opposite effect. Species abundance and richness affected the aboveground biomass indirectly through modularity and nestedness, but the effect of modularity was greater than that of nestedness. Our study confirms that the importance of species–size networks in the context of the aboveground biomass has similar effects on species–diameter and height networks across sampling areas. It clarifies that modularity from interactions between species and individuals is a useful indicator to reveal the mechanism by which plant diversity acquires resources for biomass production. These results provide new insights into biodiversity–ecosystem function relationships from a network perspective.

Objective: To investigate the diagnostic performance of high-resolution single-shot fast spin-echo (SSFSE) imaging with deep learning (DL) reconstruction algorithm on follicle counting and compare it with original SSFSE images and conventional fast spin-echo (FSE) images. Methods: This study included 20 participants (40 ovaries) with clinically confirmed polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) who underwent high-resolution ovary MRI, including three-plane T2-weighted FSE sequences and slice-matched T2-weighted SSFSE sequences. A DL reconstruction algorithm was applied to the SSFSE sequences to generate SSFSE-DL images, and the original SSFSE images were also saved. Subjective evaluations such as the blurring artifacts, subjective noise, and clarity of the follicles on the SSFSE-DL, SSFSE, and conventional FSE images were independently conducted by two observers. Intra-class correlation coefficients and Bland–Altman plots were used to present the repeatability and reproducibility of the follicle number per ovary (FNPO) based on the three types of images. Results: SSFSE-DL images showed less blurring artifact, subjective noise, and better clarity of the follicles than SSFSE and FSE (p < 0.05). For the repeatability of the FNPO, SSFSE-DL showed the highest intra-observer (ICC = 0.930; 95% CI: 0.878–0.962) and inter-observer (ICC = 0.914; 95% CI: 0.843–0.953) agreements. The inter-observer 95% limits of agreement (LOA) for SSFSE-DL, SSFSE, and FSE ranged from −3.7 to 4.5, −4.4 to 7.0, and −7.1 to 7.6, respectively. The intra-observer 95% LOA for SSFSE-DL, SSFSE, and FSE ranged from −3.5 to 4.0, −5.1 to 6.1, and −5.7 to 4.2, respectively. The absolute values of intra-observer and inter-observer differences for SSFSE-DL were significantly lower than those for SSFSE and FSE (p < 0.05). Conclusions: Compared with the original SSFSE images and the conventional FSE images, high-resolution SSFSE images with DL reconstruction algorithm can better display follicles, thus improving FNPO assessment.

Congenital nystagmus in infants and young children can lead to early blindness (EB). Previous neuroimaging studies have demonstrated that EB is accompanied by alterations in brain structure and function. However, the effects of visual impairment and critical developmental periods on brain functional connectivity at rest have been unclear. Here, we used the voxel-wise degree centrality (DC) method to explore the underlying functional network brain activity in adolescents with EB. Twenty-one patients with EBs and 21 sighted controls (SCs) underwent magnetic resonance imaging. Differences between the two groups were assessed using the DC method. Moreover, the support vector machine (SVM) method was used to differentiate patients with EB patients from the SCs according to DC values. Compared with the SCs, the patients with EB had increased DC values in the bilateral cerebellum_6, cerebellum vermis_4_5, bilateral supplementary motor areas (SMA), and left fusiform gyrus; the patients with EB had decreased DC values in the bilateral rectal gyrus and left medial orbital frontal gyrus. The SVM classification of the DC values achieved an overall accuracy of 70.45% and an area under the curve of 0.86 in distinguishing between the patients with EB and the SCs. Our study may reveal the neuromechanism of neuroplasticity in EB; the findings provide an imaging basis for future development of restorative visual therapies and sensory substitution devices, and future assessments of visual rehabilitation efficacy.

PurposeThyroid-associated ophthalmopathy (TAO) is a vision threatening autoimmune and inflammatory orbital disease, and has been reported to be associated with a wide range of structural and functional abnormalities of bilateral hemispheres. However, whether the interhemisphere functional connectivity (FC) of TAO patients is altered still remain unclear. A new technique called voxel-mirrored homotopic connectivity (VMHC) combined with support vector machine (SVM) method was used in the present study to explore interhemispheric homotopic functional connectivity alterations in patients with TAO.MethodsA total of 21 TAO patients (14 males and 7 females) and 21 wellmatched healthy controls (HCs, 14 males and 7 females), respectively, underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scanning in the resting state. We evaluated alterations in the resting state functional connectivity between hemispheres by applying VMHC method and then selected these abnormal brain regions as seed areas for subsequent study using FC method. Furthermore, the observed changes of regions in the VMHC analysis were chosen as classification features to differentiate patients with TAO from HCs through support vector machine (SVM) method.ResultsThe results showed that compared with HCs, TAO patients showed significantly lower VMHC values in the bilateral postcentral gyrus, lingual gyrus, calcarine, middle temporal gyrus, middle occipital gyrus and angular. Moreover, significantly decreased FC values were found between the right postcentral gyrus/lingual gyrus/calcarine and left lingual gyrus/cuneus/superior occipital gyrus, left postcentral gyrus/lingual gyrus/calcarine and right lingual gyrus/ middle temporal gyrus, right middle temporal gyrus and left cerebellum-8/lingual gyrus/middle occipital gyrus/supplementary motor area, left middle temporal gyrus and right middle occipital gyrus, right middle occipital gyrus/angular and left middle temporal pole (voxel-level p < 0.01, Gaussian random field correction, cluster-level p < 0.05). The SVM classification model achieved good performance in differentiating TAO patients from HCs (total accuracy: 73.81%; area under the curve: 0.79).ConclusionThe present study revealed that the altered interhemisphere interaction and integration of information involved in cognitive and visual information processing pathways including the postcentral gyrus, cuneus, cerebellum, angular, widespread visual cortex and temporal cortex in patients with TAO relative to HC group. VMHC variability had potential value for accurately and specifically distinguishing patients with TAO from HCs. The new findings may provide novel insights into the neurological mechanisms underlying visual and cognitive disorders in patients with TAO.

Summary: Non-pharmacological interventions (NPIs) are important for controlling infectious diseases such as COVID-19, but their implementation is currently monitored in an ad hoc manner. To address this issue, we present a three-stage machine learning framework called EpiTopics to facilitate the surveillance of NPI. In this protocol, we outline the use of transfer-learning to address the limited number of NPI-labeled documents and topic modeling to support interpretation of the results.For complete details on the use and execution of this protocol, please refer to Wen et al. (2022). : Publisher’s note: Undertaking any experimental protocol requires adherence to local institutional guidelines for laboratory safety and ethics.

Biological sex may play a large role in cigarette use and cessation outcomes and neuroimaging studies have demonstrated that cigarette smoking is associated with sex-related differences in brain structure and function. However, less is known about sex-specific alterations in spontaneous brain activity in cigarette smokers. In this study, we investigated the sex-related effects of cigarette smoking on local spontaneous brain activity using regional homogeneity (ReHo) based on resting-state fMRI. Fifty-six smokers (24 females) and sixty-three (25 females) healthy non-smoking controls were recruited. Whole-brain voxelwise 2-way analysis of covariance of ReHo was performed to detect brain regions with sex-dependent alterations on the spontaneous brain activity. Compared to non-smokers, smokers exhibited significant ReHo differences in several brain regions, including the right medial orbitofrontal cortex extended to the ventral striatum/amygdala/parahippocampus, left precuneus, and bilateral cerebellum crus. Smoking and sex interaction analysis revealed that male smokers showed significantly lower ReHo in the right ventral striatum, left cerebellum crus1, and left fusiform gyrus compared to male non-smokers, whereas there are no significant differences between female smokers and non-smokers. Furthermore, the ReHo within the left cerebellum crus1 was negatively correlated with craving scores in male smokers but not in female smokers. Such sex-dependent differences in spontaneous brain activity lays a foundation for further understanding the neural pathophysiology of sex-specific effects of nicotine addiction and promoting more effective health management of quitting smoking.

Background and PurposeFreezing of gait (FOG) is a common gait disturbance phenomenon in multiple system atrophy (MSA) patients. The current investigation assessed the incidence FOG in a cross-sectional clinical study, and clinical correlations associated with it.MethodsNinety-nine MSA patients from three hospitals in China were consecutively enrolled in the study. Eight patients were subsequently excluded from the analysis due to incomplete information. The prevalence of FOG symptoms in the MSA cohort was determined, and clinical manifestations in MSA patients with and without FOG were assessed.ResultsOf 91 MSA patients, 60 (65.93%) exhibited FOG. The incidence of FOG increased with disease duration and motor severity and was correlated with modified Hoehn and Yahr (H-Y) stages [odds ratio (OR), 0.54; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.33–3.92], longer disease duration (OR, 0.54, 95% CI, 0.37–0.78), higher Unified Multiple System Atrophy Rating Scale (UMSARS) score (OR, 0.96, 95% CI, 0.93–0.99), MSA-cerebellum subtype (OR, 2.99, 95% CI, 1.22–7.33), levodopa-equivalent dose (LDED) (OR, 0.998, 95% CI, 0.997–1.00), and higher Scale for the Assessment and Rating of Ataxia (SARA) score (OR, 0.80, 95% CI, 0.72–0.89) (logistic regression). Motor dysfunction was significantly positively associated with lower quality of life scores (p < 0.01).ConclusionFOG is a common symptom in MSA patients and it is correlated with poor quality of life, disease progression and severity, levodopa-equivalent dose, and cerebellum impairment.

Because of the complex morphology of bulk carbides in the core of as-cast bearing steel, their dissolution process is complicated to model, since it is difficult to rationally simplify the bulk carbides using a simple geometric shape. In this study, a metallographic image of an actual bulk carbide is transformed into a two-dimensional physical model. A dissolution model for such bulk carbides is established using thermodynamic and kinetic methods, where the diffusion coefficients for carbon and chromium in austenite and the solute concentrations at the phase interface are calculated assuming local equilibrium conditions. The calculation results from the model are compared with the experimental values, after the bearing steel was soaked at 1150 °C, 1175 °C and 1200 °C, the difference between the measured area of bulk carbides in the core and the model calculation results was 65 μm2, 12 μm2 and 30 μm2, respectively.

The structure, elastic properties and electronic structure of Ti-Al intermetallics including Ti3Al (space group P63/mmc), TiAl (space group I4/mmm) and TiAl3 (space group P4/mmm) are systematically studied by first-principles calculations. The results show that Ti-Al intermetallics can exist stably whether Cr replaces Ti or Al. The ductility of the alloy cannot be improved when Ti is replaced in Cr-doped TiAl and TiAl3. However, when it replaces Al, the alloy has better ductility. In Ti3Al, the ductility can be improved regardless of whether Cr replaces Ti or Al, and the effect is better when it replaces Al. The bond in Ti-Al intermetallics is mainly a Ti-Ti metal bond. The metal bond between Ti-Ti is strengthened and a solid metal bond is formed between Cr and Ti, inducing a better ductility of the material, after Cr replaces Al in Ti-Al intermetallics.

Rapid permafrost degradation is observed in northern regions as a result of climate change and expanding economic development. Associated increases in active layer depth lead to thermokarst development, resulting in irregular surface topography. In Central Yakutia, significant areas of the land surface have been deteriorated by thermokarst; however, no mitigation or land rehabilitation efforts are undertaken. This paper presents the results of numerical modeling of the thermal response of permafrost to changes in the active layer hydrothermal regime using field data from the village of Amga, Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), and mathematical analysis. The results suggest that restoring a thick ice-enriched layer will require increasing the pre-winter soil moisture contents in order to increase the effective heat capacity of the active layer. Snow removal or compaction during the winter is recommended to maximize permafrost cooling. The thickness of the restored transition layer varies from 0.3 to 1.3 m depending on soil moisture contents in the active layer. The modeling results demonstrate that damaged lands can be restored through a set of measures to lower the subsurface temperatures. A combination of the insulating layer (forest vegetation) and the high heat capacity layer (transition layer) in the atmosphere–ground system would be more effective in providing stable geocryological conditions.

The rheological behavior of a pile-frozen soil interface can accelerate pile settlement in pile foundation engineering and deteriorate the bearing capacity of the pile in cold regions. This is the core basis for guiding the design of pile engineering and judging the service life of pile foundations. However, it is unclear how the rheological process is affected by the factors which determine the ad-freeze strength at the pile-frozen soil interface. In this paper, based on a series of Multistage Loading Creep Test (MLCT) for pile-frozen Qinghai-Tibet clay soil interface and microscopic observations of frozen soil, the rheological process and the cryo-mechanism of the interface were analyzed. The results showed that the decrease in soil temperature reduce the interface’s instantaneous deformation value and creep rate, which results from the temperature-dependent rheological behavior of ice. The trend also occurs in the soil with coarser particles and the pile with a rough surface. The presence of massive ice in frozen soil benefits the bearing capacity of the interface at a high temperature of -1°C. However, it can considerably increase the interface’s creep rate due to the influence of the rheological properties of ice at a relatively low temperature of -5°C. Either thick lenticular ice lens or chaotic reticulate cryo-structures in the frozen soil surrounding a pile will enhance the interface’s rheological properties. The interface exhibits the lowest instantaneous deformation value and the slowest creep rate for frozen soil with the massive cryo-structure, which is formed with optimum moisture content. From an engineering viewpoint, the settlement of a pile foundation can be reduced by controlling its instantaneous deformation or restraining its creep rate.