Underwater visual detection technology plays a pivotal role in fields such as marine exploration. With the increasing demand for underwater monitoring, the quest for efficient and reliable methods for underwater target recognition has become particularly significant. To address this requirement, this study developed an innovative underwater object detection architecture based on YOLOv8, named YOLOv8-MU, aimed at significantly enhancing detection accuracy.By integrating the LarK module proposed in UniRepLKNet to optimize the backbone network, YOLOv8-MU aims to achieve a larger receptive field without increasing the model’s depth. Further, this research introduces C2fSTR, an innovative method that combines Swin Transformer with the C2f module. Additionally, we have incorporated the SPPFCSPC_EMA module, which combines Cross-Stage Partial Fast Spatial Pyramid Pooling (SPPFCSPC) with attention mechanisms, significantly improving the detection accuracy and robustness of various biological targets. Moreover, by introducing a fusion block based on DAMO-YOLO into the neck of the model, we further enhanced the model’s capability in multi-scale feature extraction. Finally, the adoption of the MPDIoU loss function, designed around vertex distance, effectively tackles the challenges of localization accuracy and boundary clarity in underwater organism detection. Experimental results on the URPC2019 dataset demonstrate that the YOLOv8-MU model achieved an [email protected] of 78.4%, marking improvements of 5.6%, 1.1%, and 4.0% over YOLOv5s, YOLOv7, and YOLOv8n respectively, indicating the leading performance (SOTA) of this method. On the other hand, further evaluation on the URPC2020 dataset confirmed the generalization capability of the YOLOv8-MU architecture, with its [email protected] reaching 80.4%, surpassing various models including YOLOv5x and YOLOv8n, showcasing the wide applicability of our proposed improved model architecture.

High-performance anodes are contributed to nanostructure of transition metal oxides for rechargeable Li-ion batteries (LIBs). In this work, we report the fabrication of high-performance anode materials for lithium-ion batteries, MnO2 nanotube directly grown into fabrics of carbon nanofibers, the MnO2/Carbon nanofibers (CNFs) were investigated by X-ray diffraction, scanning and transmission electron microscopies. When tested as the anode material in LIBs, the MnO2/CNFs exhibit superior performance and excellent long cycling performance with a reversible capacity of 835 mA h g-1 at 0.1 A g-1 after the 133 th cycle, a high initial specific capacity of 1094 mA h g-1 at a current density of 0.1 A g-1. The MnO2/CNFs demonstrates notable specific capacities, specifically, with a coulombic efficiency of 99.5 %, both stability and capacity are conspicuously above literature data. These impressive results indicate that MnO2/CNFs has great potential for high-energy and high-power energy storage applications.

Hepatic carboxylesterase 1(CES1) metabolizes many prodrugs into active ingredients or direct-acting drugs into inactive metabolites. We aim to develop a semi-physiologically based pharmacokinetic model(Semi-PBPK model) to simultaneously predict pharmacokinetics of CES1 substrates and their active metabolites in liver cirrhosis(LC) patients. Six prodrugs(enalapril, benazepril, cilazapril, temocapril, perindopril and oseltamivir) and three direct-acting drugs (flumazenil, pethidine and remimazolam) were selected. The parameters including organ blood flows, plasma binding protein concentrations, functional liver volume, hepatic enzymatic activity, glomerular filtration rate(GFR) and gastrointestinal transit rate were introduced into the simulation. Pharmacokinetic profiles of these drugs and their active metabolites were simulated in 100 virtual subjects. The developed semi-PBPK model, following validation in healthy subjects, was extrapolated to LC patients. Most of the observations are within the 5% and 95% quantile of simulations from 100 virtual patients. The estimated AUC and Cmax are within 0.5-2-fold of observation. The sensitivity analysis showed that the decreased plasma exposure of active metabolite due to the decreased CES1 was partly attenuated by the decreased GFR. Conclusion: The developed PBPK model has successfully predicted pharmacokinetics of CES1 substrates and their metabolites in healthy subjects and LC patients, which assists in tailoring dosages of CES1 substrates in LC patients.

Parkinson's disease (PD) is the second most common neurodegenerative disease worldwide. A growing body of evidence suggests that mitochondrial dysfunction and inflammation plays a crucial role as a pathogenetic mechanism in PD. The aim of the present study was to investigate the metabolic profile of PBMCs from PD patients and to search for a possible relationship be-tween cellular bioenergetics and YKL-40. Materials and methods: The study included 18 naïve PD and an age-matched control group (HC, n=7). Patients were diagnosed according to the MDS-PD, the UPDRS and the Hoen–Yahr scales. Mitochondrial activity was measured by a metabolic analyzer on isolated PBMCs from PD’s patients. Gene (qPCR) and protein (ELISA) expression levels of YKL40 were investigated. Results: New data are reported revealing changes in mito-chondrial activity and YKL-40 levels in PD patients. Bioenergetic parameters showed increased respiratory reserve capacity in the PD compared to HC. The protein levels of YKL-40 were three-fold higher in PD. We found a correlation between YKL-40 protein levels and basal respiration and between YKL-40 and ATP production. Conclusion: These observations suggest an interplay between YKL-40 and mitochondrial function in PD. We assume that YKL-40 gene and protein levels in combination with changes in mitochondrial function might serve as an additional tool to monitor the clinical course of PD.

Photothermal therapy (PTT) can overcome cancer treatment resistance by enhancing cell membrane permeability, facilitating drug accumulation, and promoting drug release within the tumor tissue. Iron oxide nanoparticles (IONPs) have emerged as effective agents for PTT due to their unique properties and biocompatibility. Approved for the treatment of anemia, as MRI contrast agents, and as magnetic hyperthermia mediators, IONPs also offer excellent light-to-heat conversion and can be manipulated using external magnetic field for targeted accumulation in specific tissues. Optimizing parameters such as laser wavelength, power density, shape, size, iron oxidation state, functionalization, and concentration is crucial for IONPs effectiveness. In addition to PTT, IONPs enhance other cancer treatment modalities. They improve tumor oxygenation enhancing the efficacy of radiotherapy and photodynamic therapy. IONPs can also trigger ferroptosis, a programmed cell death pathway mediated by iron-dependent lipid peroxidation. Their magneto-mechanical effect can exert mechanical force on cancer cells to destroy tumors, minimizing damage to healthy tissues. This review outlines strategies for managing photothermal performance and PTT efficiency with iron oxide nanoparticles, as well as synergies with other cancer therapies.

Improvement in medical care has turned severe diseases into chronic conditions, but often their treatment and use of medical devices are related to specific complications. Here we present a clinical case of a long-term dialysis patient, who is infected with a rare opportunistic infectious agent – Gordonia sputi. In recent years the incidence of Gordonia spp. infections in immunocompromised patients with central venous catheters (CVC) appear to rise. Their isolation and identification are challenging and require modern techniques. In addition, the treatment is usually persistent and often results in CVC extraction, which is associated with further risk and costs for the patient. We also studied the alternations in the immune status of the patient caused by long-term renal replacement therapy and persistent HCV infection. Antibiotic therapy and immunostimulation with Inosine pranobex lead to successful eradication of the infection without the need for CVC replacement.

This study was conducted to examine whether there are quantitative or qualitative differences in the connectome between psychiatric patients and healthy controls and to delineate the connectome features of major depressive disorder (MDD), schizophrenia (SCZ), bipolar disorder (BD) and the severity of these disorders. Toward this end, we have performed effective connectivity analysis of resting state functional MRI data in these three patient groups and healthy controls. We have used spectral Dynamic Causal Modeling (spDCM), and the derived connectome features were further subjected to machine learning. The results outlined a model of 5 connections, which discriminate patients from controls, comprising major nodes of the limbic system (amygdala (AMY), hippocampus (HPC) and anterior cingulate cortex (ACC)), the salience network (anterior insula (AI), fronto-parietal and dorsal attention network (middle frontal gyrus (MFG) corresponding to dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, frontal eye field (FEF)). Notably, the alterations in the self-inhibitory connection of the anterior insula emerged as a feature of both mood disorders and SCZ. Moreover, 4 out of the 5 connectome features that discriminate mental illness from controls are features of mood disorders (both MDD and BD), namely the MFG→FEF, HPC→FEF, AI→AMY, and MFG→AMY connections, whereas one connection is a feature of SCZ, namely the AMY→SPL connectivity. A large part of the variance in the severity of depression (31.6%) and SCZ (40.6%) was explained by connectivity features. In conclusion, dysfunctions in the self-regulation of the salience network may underpin major mental disorders, while other key connectome features shape differences between mood disorders and SCZ, and can be used as potential imaging biomarkers.

The immunization of healthcare workers in the early stages of the rollout of COVID-19 vaccines was prioritized in order to ensure uninterrupted medical care provision. At the same time the increasing number of available COVID-19 vaccines may trigger hesitancy towards the decision to get vaccinated. Thus, accumulating reliable information on the adverse events following immunization may educate and urge the general population to receive a COVID-19 vaccine. The present study aimed to evaluate the adverse events (AEs) following immunization with any of the available COVID-19 vaccine among Bulgarian healthcare workers (HCWs). A cross-sectional study among HCWs in Plovdiv, Bulgaria was conducted in the period March – September 2021. Through a semi-structured online questionnaire, the participants reported the adverse events following the administration of the first and second dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. A total of 253 respondents, vaccinated with one of the available vaccines against COVID-19 took part in the study. Of them 71.9% were females, and 75.9% received mRNA-based vaccines, while 24.1% received a viral-vector based vaccine. Overall 91.6% and 82.6% of all participants reported at least one local AE after the first and second dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. The share of respondents reporting at least one systemic AE after the first and second dose of a COVID-19 vaccine was 59.7% and 62.4% respectively. The most common local AE was pain at the injection spot (84.0%), while the most common systemic AEs were fatigue (54.9%), chills (43.2%), and headache (41.7%). The mRNA-based vaccines versions seem to cause higher prevalence of local AEs, while the vector-based vaccines were linked with increased prevalence of systemic AEs. Female HCWs and the younger age group were associated with an increased risk of adverse events generally. Our results added more evidence that mRNA-based and viral-vector based vaccines are generally safe. The reported adverse events were mild, although they occurred in a high share of the respondents. No serious AEs attributable to the vaccines were reported.

We constructed a novel design integrating the administration of a clinical self-assessment scale with simultaneous acquisition of functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI), aiming at cross-validation between psychopathology evaluation and neuroimaging techniques. We hypothesized that areas demonstrating differential activation in two groups of patients (paranoid and depressive) will have distinct connectivity patterns and structural differences.

The aim of this study is to introduce and evaluate a new approach by using 3D printed anthropomorphic breast phantoms in teaching X-ray mammography techniques Radiologic technologists. For this purpose, a physical anthropomorphic breast phantom is created, based on a computational breast version. The phantom is created by a stereolithography 3D printer. The practical exercises were conducted in three sessions with the participation of radiographers students first, second and third year of training, respectively. A survey was prepared to summarise the participants´ opinion about this new form of training in mammography technique. A total of 83 students were trained with the new approach. From these 52 responded to the survey questions. More than half of the students (71.2%) successfully handled the exercise with the physical breast phantom. The training provoked a substantial number of students to express the belief that incorporating modern methods based on digital technologies into their X-ray device training is essential. The instructor was well prepared and with the needed competence. The experience within this training convinces the future professionals to introduce the new technologies in their routine work, particularly for exercising the compression technique and breast positioning.

This study explored the potential synergism within chlorhexidine-silver nanoparticles conjugates against Influenza type A, Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, and Candida albicans. Silver nanoparticles (SN) were obtained by the reduction of silver ions with green tea total phenolic extract and conjugated with chlorhexidine (Cx). The particles were characterized by UV-Vis and FTIR spectroscopies, dynamic light scattering, X-ray diffraction, and transmission electron microscopy. A stable negatively-charged nano-silver colloid (ζ=-50.01) was obtained with an average hydrodynamic diameter of 92.34 nm. In the presence of chlorhexidine, the spectral data and the shift of the zeta potential to positive values (ζ=+44.59) revealed the successful sorption of the drug onto the silver surface. The conjugates (SN-Cx) demonstrated potentiation in the effects against S. aureus and C. albicans, and synergism against E. coli with minimal inhibitory concentrations of SN 5.5 µg/mL+Cx 8.8 µg/mL. The SN showed excellent, increasing with time, virucidal properties, and low toxicity. The coupling of the cationic chlorhexidine with nano-silver, however, did not reduce its intrinsic cytotoxicity on various cell lines (MDCK, BJ, and А549). The newly-synthesized antimicrobial agent presented with an extended and promising therapeutic spectrum and needs to be further evaluated on relevant to the designated route of administration three-dimensional cell models (e.g., nasal, bronchial, dermal, ocular, etc.).

Analyzing synovial fluid from joints affected by the pathological process of psoriatic arthritis is part of the overall patient examination, since it may have differential diagnostic significance. The purpose of this study was to assess the presence of crystals in the synovial fluid of psoriatic arthritis patients as biomarkers for disease activity. Materials and methods: The synovial fluid of 156 patients with proven PSA diagnosis (patients covered CASPAR criteria) was analyzed over 24 months and compared to 50 patients with activated gonarthrosis. The Leica DM4500P polarization microscope (Leica Microsystems, Germany) was used for crystal detection. Pain and disease activity measures were also evaluated (PSA VAS for pain, DAPSA, PASDAI, mCPDAI, and HAQ-DI). The statistical analysis was carried out using SPSS version 26 with a significance set at p < 0.05. Results: The macroscopic appearance of synovial fluid from patients with psoriatic arthritis was clear in 84.6% of the patients. Synovial fluid crystals were found in 23.71% of patients with psoriatic arthritis - predominantly monosodium urate (67.58%) but also calcium pyrophosphate (21.62%) and lipid drops (5.4%). The presence of monosodium urate crystals significantly correlates with all pain and disease activity measures – VAS for pain, DAPSA, PASDAI, mCPDAI, and HAQ-DI. In 67.56% of patients with established crystals treatment with an anti-TNF blocker was started at the discretion of the treating rheumatologist due to high levels of disease activity. Conclusion: Examining the synovial fluid in PSA patients is a necessary minimally invasive procedure in cases of joint effusion, since the presence of synovial fluid crystals is a significant indicator of disease severity. The current analyses demonstrate that the presence of synovial fluid crystals in PSA patients can be used as a biomarker for disease severity and the necessity to commence biological treatment (most often TNF-a-blocker).

Earliest critical context of the pandemic, preceding the first real epidemiological wave of contagion in Bulgaria, was examined in a socio-affective perspective. A retrospective and agnostic analytical approach was adopted. Our goal was to identify traits and trends that explain public health support (PHS) of Bulgarians during the first two months of the declared state of emergency. We investigated a set of variables with a unified method within an international scientific network, named International Collaboration on Social &amp; Moral Psychology of COVID-19 (ICSMP) in April and May 2020. Conspiracy Theories beliefs were a significant predictor of lower PHS. Psychological Well-being was significantly associated with Physical Contact and Anti-Corona Policy Support. Physical Contact was significantly predicted by less Conspiracy Theories beliefs, higher Collective Narcissism, Open-mindedness, higher Trait Self-Control, Moral Identity, Risk Perception, and Psychological Well-Being. Physical Hygiene compliance was predicted by less Conspiracy Theories beliefs, Collective Narcissism, Morality-as-Cooperation, Moral Identity, and Psychological Well-Being. Results revealed two polar trends of support and non-support of public health policies. The contribution of this study is in providing evidence for affective polarization and phenomenology of (non)precarity during the outbreak of the pandemic.

In order to overcome this problem our group designed a novel machine learning technique, multivariate linear method (MLM) which can capture convergent data from voxel-based morphometry, functional resting state and task-related neuroimaging and the relevant clinical measures. In this paper we report results from convergent cross-validation of biological signatures of disease in a sample of patients with schizophrenia as compared to depression. Our model provides evidence that the combination of the neuroimaging and clinical data in MLM analysis can inform the differential diagnosis in terms of incremental validity to reach 90 % accuracy of the prediction.

(1) Background: In recent years, an innovative approach has emerged in the field of toxicology for managing acute intoxications caused by lipophilic substances: intravenous lipid emulsions (ILE). Through numerous experiments and case reports, the efficacy of lipid emulsions in counteracting toxicities induced by lipophilic agents, including a significant number of antiepileptic drugs (AE), has become increasingly evident. (2) Methods: Data spanning a 10-year period (2010-2020) was analyzed by searching through multiple scientific publication platforms like PubMed, Science Direct, Research Gate, and Springer Link. The study focused on reviewing relevant case reports detailing successful Intravenous lipid emulsion (ILE) administration in pa-tients with acute intoxications with antiepileptics, specifically examining the impact of fat emul-sions on neurological status, Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) scores, and corrected QT interval con-cerning hemodynamic instability. (3) Results: The typical symptoms of antiepileptic toxicity in-clude central nervous system depression, ataxia, and nystagmus. Intravenous lipid emulsion ap-plication resulted in an increase in Glasgow Coma Scale scores and enhanced recovery from drug intoxication. (4) Conclusions: This study provides a comprehensive overview of the potential utility of ILE as a component to antidote therapy in cases of acute AE poisoning involving neurotropic drugs. The process involves the engagement of various mechanisms of antitoxic activity.

The aim of the study was to develop casein-fucoidan composite nanostructures through the method of polyelectrolyte complexation and subsequent spray drying. To determine the optimal parameters for the preparation of the composite structures and to investigate the influence of the production and technological parameters on the main structural and morphological characteristics of the obtained structures, 3(k-p) fractional factorial design was applied. The independent variables (casein to fucoidan ration, glutaraldehyde concentration and spray intensity) were varied at three levels (low, medium, and high) and their effect on the yield, the average particle size and the zeta potential were evaluated statistically. Based on the obtained results, models C1F1G1Sp.30, C1F1G2Sp.40, and C1F1G3Sp.50, which have an average particle size ranging from (265 ± 32) nm to (357 ± 25) nm, production yield in the range (48.9 ± 2.9) % to (66.4 ± 2.2) % and zeta potential varying from ( −20.12 ± 0.9) mV to (−25.71 ± 1.0) mV were selected as optimal for further use as drug delivery systems.

We have used Mass Multivariate Method on structural, resting state and task related fMRI data from two groups of patients with schizophrenia and depression, respectively, in order to define several regions of significant relevance to the differential diagnosis between those conditions. The regions included the left Planum polare, Left opercular part of the inferior frontal gyrus (OpIFG), Medial orbital gyrus (MOrG), Posterior Insula (PIns), and Parahippocampal gyrus (PHG). This study delivers evidence that multimodal neuroimaging approach can potentially enhance the validity of psychiatric diagnosis. Either structural, or resting state or task related functional MRI modality cannot provide independent biomarkers. Further studies need to consider and implement a model of incremental validity to combine clinical measures with different neuroimaging modalities to discriminate depressive disorders from schizophrenia. Biological signatures of disease on the level of neuroimaging are more likely to underpin broader nosological entities in psychiatry.

(1) Background: Tooth extraction is one of the oldest and most well-known surgical procedures in dental medicine. It is still routinely performed to date by both general practitioners, oral surgeons, and dental undergraduates. The Benex extraction system allows for the extraction of teeth in vertical direction, which avoids most trauma against the surrounding alveolar bone and soft tissues; (2) Methods: The study included 56 patients who were recruited from the department of Oral Surgery at the Faculty of Dental Medicine, Medical University – Plovdiv. Patients were divided into two groups of 28 patients – Group I (control group) and Group II (study group). For each group the success of the extraction, buccal cortical plate preservation, pain experience and early wound healing were assessed; (3) Results: There was no statistical significance between the success of the extractions in both groups. The Benex extractions preserved the buccal cortical plate in 95% of the cases, whereas the forceps extractions only in 71.8%, which shows a statistical significance. On the seventh day patients in group II reported less pain, without a significant difference. There was a significantly bigger number of completely healed extraction wounds on the 10th day; (4) Conclusions: Atraumatic extractions allow for more hard and soft tissues to be preserved in the extraction site. This is all crucial for the successful outcome and aesthetically pleasing results of a following prosthetic or implant restoration.

We study almost hypercomplex structure with Hermitian-Norden metrics on 4-dimensional Lie groups considered as smooth manifolds. All the basic classes of a classification of 4-dimensional indecomposable real Lie algebras depending on one parameter are investigated. There are studied some geometrical characteristics of the respective almost hypercomplex manifolds with Hermitian-Norden metrics.

Accurate channel estimation is of utmost importance for massive MIMO systems that allow providing significant improvements in spectral and energy efficiency. In this work, we investigate the spectral efficiency performance and present a channel estimator for multi-cell massive MIMO systems subjected to pilot-contamination. The proposed channel estimator performs well under moderate to aggressive pilot contamination scenarios without prior knowledge of the inter-cell large-scale channel coefficients and noise power. The estimator approximates the performance of a linear Minimum Mean Square Error (MMSE) as the number of antennas increases. Following, we derive a lower bound closed-form spectral efficiency of the Maximum Ratio Combining (MRC) detector in the proposed channel estimator. The simulation results highlight that the proposed estimator performance approaches the linear minimum mean square error (LMMSE) channel estimator asymptotically.

A combination of Poloxamer 407 (P407) and hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC) hydrosols is proposed as an in situ thermo-gelling vehicle for the nasal drug delivery of chlorhexidine-silver nanoparticles conjugates (SN-CX). Varying ratios of P407 and HPMC were applied in the presence and absence of SN-CX in order to optimize the gelation temperature (Tg) to values close to the physiological nasal such (30–34°C). Mechanisms for the observed gelation phenomena were suggested based on viscosimetry, texture analysis, and dynamic light scattering. Tests were carried out for sprayability, washout time, in vitro drug release, ex vivo permeation, and antimicrobial activity. When applied separately, HPMC was found to lower the P407 gelation temperature, whereas SN-CX increased it. However, in the presence of HPMC, SN-CX interfered with the P407 micellar organization in a principally contrasting way, while leading to an even further decrease in Tg. SN-CX-loaded nasal formulation composed of P407 16% and HPMC 0.1% demonstrated a desired gelation at 31.9 °C, good sprayability (52.95% coverage of the anterior nasal cavity), mucoadhesion for 70 min under simulated nasal clearance, expedient release and permeation, and preserved anti-infective activity against seasonal Influenza virus and beta-coronavirus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Staphylococcus aureus and other pathogens. Our findings suggest that the current development could be considered a potential formulation of a protective nasal spray against respiratory infections.

Nyssa yunnanensis is a deciduous tree species in the family Nyssaceae within the order Cornales. As only eight individual trees and two populations have been recorded in China’s Yunnan province, this species has been listed among China’s national Class I protection species since 1999 and also among 120 PSESP (Plant Species with Extremely Small Populations) in the Implementation Plan of Rescuing and Conserving China’s Plant Species with Extremely Small Populations(PSESP) (2011-2-15). Here, we present the draft genome assembly of N. yunnanensis. Using 10X Genomics linked-reads sequencing data, we carried out the de novo assembly and annotation analysis. The N. yunnanensis genome assembly is 1475 Mb in length, containing 288,519 scaffolds with a scaffold N50 length of 985.59 kb. Within the assembled genome, 799.51 Mb was identified as repetitive elements, accounting for 54.24% of the sequenced genome, and a total of 39,803 protein-coding genes were predicted. With the genomic characteristics of N. yunnanensis available, our study might facilitate future conservation biology studies to help protect this extremely threatened tree species.

In this article, the geometry of pseudoparallel, Ricci-generalized pseudoparallel and 2-Ricci-generalized pseudoparallel invariant submanifolds of an almost $\alpha$-cosymplectic $(\kappa,\mu,\nu)$ space has been searched under the some conditions. We also give some characterizations for such submanifolds. I think that obtained new results contribute to differential geometry.

China promotes nature-based solutions (NbS) as key approaches to addressing climate change, ecosystem damage, and biodiversity loss. However, indigenous and local knowledge (ILK), which is recognized by international scholars as an essential element of successful NbS, has not been thoroughly studied in the Chinese context. By conducting a comprehensive review of Chinese central governmental policies and semi-structured interviews with typical cases, this study finds out diversified sources of ILK and five pathways of ILK integration, including education, supervision, participation, knowledge preservation, and knowledge adoption. An increasing emphasis on community engagement has been driven by central policies such as the ecological civilization, carbon peaking and carbon neutrality goals. From a practical perspective, consistent core ideas of ILK exist in selected typical Chinese cases and studies in other countries, namely co-existence and reciprocity with nature. While supportive central policies can set the scene, ILK integration could not be realized without local governmental endorsement, context-based implementation, and long-term multi-stakeholder participation. Furthermore, this study also figures out a potential deficiency in terms of realizing effective ILK integration in mainstream and conventional practices, which can be further investigated by future studies.

Quality of Experience (QoE) metrics can be used to assess user perception and satisfaction in data services applications delivered over the Internet. End-to-end metrics are formed because QoE is dependent on both the users’ perception and the service used. Traditionally, network optimization has focused on improving network properties such as the QoS. In this paper we examine the Adaptive streaming over a software defined network environment. We aimed to evaluate and study the media streams, aspects affecting the stream, and network. This was done to eventually reach a stage of analysing the network’s features and their direct relationship with the perceived QoE. We then use machine learning to build a prediction model based on subjective user experiments. This will help to eliminate future physical experiments and automate the process of predicting QoE.

The aim of this paper is to use the elementary method and the properties of the second kind Stirling numbers to study the congruence properties of a new sequence, which is closely related to Fubini polynomials and Euler numbers, and give some interesting congruences for it. This solves a problem proposed by the first author at an unpublished paper.

The Yixian Formation (Lower Cretaceous) of China is famous worldwide for its fossils of early angio-sperms, but there is only one record of flower bud hitherto. A previous fossil record of flower bud just showed the appearance and lacked any internal details. Such a lacuna in knowledge of flower buds hin-ders our understanding of the evolution of flowers. Our new specimen was collected from an outcrop of the Yixian Formation (the Barremian-Aptian, Lower Cretaceous) near Dawangzhangzi, Lingyuan, Liao-ning, China. The specimen was observed and photographed using a Sony ILCE-7 digital camera and a Nikon SMZ1500 stereomicroscope, and details were observed using a TESCAN MAIA3 SEM. Our ob-servations document a fossil flower bud, Archaebuda cretaca sp. nov, from the Lower Cretaceous of China. The occurrence of two species of Archaebuda in the Yixian Formation not only confirms the ex-istence of the expected gynoecium (and possible androecium) in a flower bud, but also underscores the occurrence of typical flowers in the Early Cretaceous.

Recent advances in quantum computing systems attract tremendous attention. Commercial companies, such as IBM, Amazon, and IonQ, have started to provide access to noisy intermediate-scale quantum computers. Researchers and entrepreneurs attempt to deploy their applications that aim to achieve a quantum speedup. Grover’s algorithm and quantum phase estimation are the foundations of many applications with the potential for such a speedup. While these algorithms, in theory, obtain marvelous performance, deploying them on existing quantum devices is a challenging task. For example, quantum phase estimation requires extra qubits and a large number of controlled operations, which are impractical due to low-qubit and noisy hardware. To fully utilize the limited onboard qubits, we develop a distributed application with a key-value data structure based on Grover’s algorithm called IQuCS . Consider a database with duplicates. By encoding each element to a binary type with a unique key and forming a key-value pair, we can count the number of occurrences of each element in the database based on quantum computing. We have optimized the operation process by filtering data points to make it more efficient. To determine the effect of this optimization, we evaluate it with datasets of different sizes and with different numbers of duplicates. With the assistance of classical computers, IQuCS can reduce the problem set for each query. Due to this reduction, IQuCS requires fewer qubits. Through the iterative management, IQuCS achieves a reduction of qubit virtualized consumption, up to 66.2%, with reasonable accuracy.

Thermal fluctuations in two-dimensional (2D) isotropy systems at non zero finite temperatures can destroy the long-range (LR) magnetic order due to Mermin-Wanger theory. Interestingly, the magnetic anisotropy related to spin-orbit coupling (SOC) could stabilize magnetic order in 2D systems. Recently, 2D FexGeTe2 (3≤x≤7) with high curie temperature (TC), as a typical 2D van der Waals metallic ferromagnet, has not only made significant progress in synthetic methods and controlling ferromagnetism (FM), but also actively explored many device applications. In this Review, we introduce six experimental methods, ten ferromagnetic modulation strategies, and three spintronic devices of 2D FexGeTe2 materials. Overall, we have outlined the challenges and potential research directions in this field.

The integration of three-dimensional (3D) printed resin denture teeth represents a significant ad-vancement in digital dentistry. This study aimed to assess their ability to withstand chipping and indirect tensile fractures, comparing them with conventionally manufactured resin denture teeth. Four groups, each comprising 30 specimens, were examined: Group 1 featured 3D printed denture teeth (NextDent, 3D Systems, Soesterberg, The Netherlands), while the others included commer-cially obtained Ivostar Shade, SpofaDent Plus, and Major Super Lux teeth. Stereolithography 3D printing was utilized to produce methacrylate-based photopolymerized resin teeth models for Group 1, while the remaining groups were commercially sourced. Chipping and indirect tensile fracture tests were performed at a speed of 1 mm/min until fracture occurred. Statistical analysis was conducted using one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) with Tukey's honestly significant difference multiple comparisons test (p < 0.05). Results indicated that 3D-printed teeth exhibited higher indirect tensile fracture resistance than Major Super Lux and Ivostar Shade but lower than SpofaDent Plus. Additionally, in the chipping test, buccal chipping occurred in 3D-printed resin teeth without distortion. In the indirect tensile test, the fracture line emerged near the loading point, extending cervically from the inner incline of both cusps. Overall, denture teeth produced via 3D printing with printable resin materials demonstrated sufficient fracture resistance, making them suitable for prosthetic applications.

The primary objective of this current study is to conduct a comprehensive review of existing literature that discusses research on post and core restorations, covering aspects such as their composition, manufacturing methods, and clinical effectiveness. The methodology employed in this review encompasses the implementation of a well-defined search strategy, the establishment of criteria for inclusion and exclusion, and the selection of relevant studies to summarize their findings. To gather relevant literature published between 1993 and 2023, the research team conducted separate searches on PubMed, Scopus, and Embase databases. In total, 165 titles were initially retrieved from these electronic databases. By applying the predefined exclusion criteria, the researchers identified 73 articles that specifically address the conventional and computer-aided design/computer-aided manufacturing (CAD/CAM) technologies employed in post and core restorations. These restorations are frequently utilized procedures for repairing teeth that have undergone endodontic treatment and subsequently lost dental structure. The development of computerized technology for the creation of customized posts and cores has emerged as a straightforward and efficient alternative to traditional methods. The review encompasses a synthesis of papers discussing the various techniques and materials employed in constructing post and cores using CAD/CAM technology. Notably, different strategies for restoring endodontically treated teeth through CAD/CAM post and cores have been documented, revealing both direct and indirect approaches. The most mentioned materials for these restorations include zirconia, composite resin, and hybrid ceramics. While the available literature on CAD/CAM post and core procedures is somewhat limited, the review underscores the need for further research to explore the long-term outcomes and efficacy of this treatment approach.

Colchicine has a number of effects that suggest it may be useful in the treatment of COVID-19. Myeloid cells are a major source of dysregulated inflammation in COVID-19. The hyperactivation of the NLRP3 inflammasome and the subsequent cytokine storm take place precisely inside them and can lead to multiorgan damage and death. NLRP3 inflammasome inhibition has been assessed at micromolar colchicine concentrations which cannot be achieved in serum. However, colchicine has remarkable ability to accumulate intensively in leukocytes, where the cytokine storm is generated. Over 50 observational studies and randomized clinical trials, small randomized non-controlled trials and retrospective cohort studies were initiated to test its healing effect in vivo, leading to conflicting, rather disappointing results. WHO gives ”Strong recommendation against” the use of colchicine for COVID-19 treatment. This is because low doses of colchicine are always used, where the concentrations required to inhibit the NLRP3 inflammasome in leukocytes cannot be reached. Considering this, from March 2020 we started the administration of higher doses of colchicine. Our assumption was that safe increase in colchicine doses to reach micromolar concentrations in leukocytes will result in NLRP3 inflammasome/cytokine storm inhibition. We demonstrated that in 785 inpatients treated with increasing doses of colchicine, mortality fell between 2 and 7 times. Our data, including also a large number of COVID-19 outpatients, showed that nearly 100% of the patients treated with this therapeutic regimen escaped hospitalization. In addition, post-covid symptoms in those treated with colchicine were significantly less. As a large number of viruses can overactivate the NLRP3 inflammasome (like seasonal influenza), we are convinced that higher colchicine doses would be useful in these cases as well.

Elevated salinity is one of the major environmental limitation factors of plant growth and development and salinity stress compromises the production and survival of plantation and urban forests and agricultural crops in the arid, semi-arid, and intertidal zones. Ulmus pumila, a salt- indigenous tree species in Asia and is widely deployed in salt-affected areas in China, and U.pumila is promising for multi-varietal forestry in plantation and urban forests. The comprehensive mechanism of the intraspecific salt tolerance is still not clear yet. Here, we investigated the physiological responses of the salinity stress based on the antioxidant enzyme activities, osmotic adjustments, and gas exchange among salt-tolerant U. pumila genotypes for 100 days under five different NaCl levels (0%, 0.3%, 0.5%, 0.7%, and 0.9% w/v) with natural surroundings and rain shade at age-2. Salt stress decreased height (HR), ground diameter (DR), and dry weight (biomass) were significantly different among genotypes. HR and performance indices were positively correlated with photosynthesis rate (Pn), apparent mesophyll conductance (AMC), and chlorophyll (CHLL) with (r= 0.7 - 0.8 ***), but were negatively related to the free proline, sugar, and protein accumulation (r=-0.5 ~ -0.7***). We found that high accumulation of sugars and more activities of SOD enzyme in leaf tissue contribute to the osmotic adjustment and ROS scavenging system under salinity treatment; the sugar content and SOD activity play key roles in U. pumila’s tolerance to salt stress, and are promising indicators for U. pumila species ex vitro selections. The ex vitro selection results align with the previous in vitro studies [37] and is promising for the MVF development.

Aim. In the current study, we aimed at identifying resting-state brain networks, which are different in patients with depression compared to healthy individuals. Moreover, we analyzed the potential for clinical use of different network measures that could discriminate the two groups and thus help the diagnostic process. Method and subjects. We recruited 90 subjects: 49 healthy controls (HC) and 41 patients with a major depressive episode (MDE). All subjects underwent clinical evaluation and functional resting-state MRI. The data were processed to investigate functional connectivity network measures across the two groups using Brain Connectivity Toolbox. The statistical inferences were made at the functional networks level, using false discovery rate method. Independent samples t-test was performed on the network measures mean values to reveal differences between HC and MDE groups. Permutation-based statistical testing was used to test the significance of the difference between the distributions of the network measures by nodes for HC and MDE groups. Linear discriminant analysis was used to differentiate between the groups. Results and discussion. Significant differences in FC between depressed patients and healthy controls were found with the most prominent changes encompassing within-region as well as between-region connectivity of occipital lobe areas such as precuneus (PreCu), cuneus (Cu), superior occipital gyrus (SOG), lingual gyrus (LG), fusiform gyrus (FG), cerebellum, along with limbic structures including the hippocampus (Hipp) and cingulate gyrus. Linear discriminant analysis demonstrated that the full connectivity matrices, as well as those with only the significant connections identified in advance, were the most precise in differentiating between depression and health. These measures reached precision levels of 97% and 94%, respectively. Conclusion. Our study delivered further evidence about impairment of functional connectivity networks in MDE that may contribute to differentiate patients with depression from healthy subjects.

Digital transformation provides new drivers for economic performance growth in enterprises, but can it further improve ESG performance and support sustainable development? Based on the perspective of resources and capabilities, this paper uses the relevant data of 1588 listed companies in strategic emerging industries from 2011 to 2021 to study the differential impact of digital transformation on enterprise ESG performance, and further tests the mediating role of absorptive capacity and the moderating role of regional digital level. The research results indicate that: firstly, digital transformation of enterprises can positively promote the improvement of ESG performance; Secondly, there are significant differences in the impact of digital transformation on the ESG performance of enterprises in terms of property rights and industry characteristics. The ESG performance of state-owned enterprises and high-end equipment manufacturing enterprises is more sensitive to digital transformation; Thirdly, absorptive capacity plays a mediating role between digital transformation and corporate ESG performance; Fourthly, the positive regulation of regional digital level promotes the ESG performance of enterprises through digital transformation. The research conclusion is based on a digital perspective, providing relevant insights for improving the ESG performance of strategic emerging industry enterprises and expanding their ESG development paths.

Background and Objectives: Trichomonas tenax is a protozoan, participating in the human oral microflora. It is considered as a potential paradontopathogen. This microorganism is also reported in the respiratory tract. We aimed to analyze the available literature about the prevalence of Trichomonas tenax in the population affected by periodontal disease. Materials and Methods: Тhe searching with keywords: ,,Trichomonas tenax” and “periodontal diseases’’ in Scopus, PubMed and ScienceDirect databases was able to identify several systematic reviews and original articles until July 2023. All studies with suffering from periodontal disease people, mentioned year of publication, country, specified detection methods, total number of tested samples as well as the percentage of those infected with Trichomonas tenax were included. Irrelevant articles were excluded. Results: We found 137 studies, but only 64 studies about distribution of Trichomonas tenax in patients with gum disease underwent qualitative analysis. The highest number of studies have been conducted in Iran, Poland and Iraq. Different methods have been used to detect the unicellular organism, each with different specificity and sensitivity. Conclusions: Interest in Trichomonas tenax has grown considerably since 2000. Because of its association with periodontal disease, Trichomonas tenax role in the inflammatory process shouldn’t be overlooked.

This study delves into the performance evaluation of an avant-garde technology in mobile communications known as Large Intelligent Surface (LIS), poised to be an integral component of the sixth-generation (6G) networks. This groundbreaking technology has the potential to markedly augment the Signal-to-Interference plus Noise Ratio (SINR) by orchestrating signals originating from the base station through a network of digitally controlled reflectors meticulously engineered to modulate the phase of incoming electromagnetic waves. A LIS can establish a Line of Sight (LoS) within channels that inherently do not have a LoS. In addition, it can also be optimized to increase transmission security by ensuring that the signal reaches only the target users of the message with better quality. In this study, analytical expressions were derived to calculate the distribution parameters, the bit error probability, and the secrecy outage probability. These calculations consider the presence of an eavesdropper link, highlighting the potential of the LIS to increase the confidentiality of digital communication systems. The accuracy of the proposed formulas was demonstrated by showing how the performance of the LIS varies with different design parameters and environmental fading.

Improper sitting positions are known as the primary reason for back pain and the emergence of musculoskeletal disorders (MSD) among individuals who spend prolonged time working with computer screens, keyboards, and mice. At the same time, it is well understood that automated technological tools can play an important role in the process of unhealthy habit alteration, so plenty of research efforts are focused on research and technology development (RTD) activities that aim to provide support to the prevention of back pain or the development of MSD. Here, we report on creating a new resource in support of RTD activities aiming at the automated detection of improper sitting positions. It consists of multimodal multisensory recordings of 100 persons made with a video recorder, camera, and wrist-attached sensors that capture physiological signals (PPG, EDA, Skin temperature), as well as motion sensors (three-axis accelerometer). Our multimodal multisensory dataset (MMD-MSD) opens new opportunities for modeling the body stance (sitting posture and movements), physiological state (stress level, attention, emotional arousal, valence), and performance (success rate on the Stroop test) of people working with a computer. Finally, we demonstrate two use cases: improper neck posture detection from pictures and cognitive load detection from physiological signals.

In our article in Genome Biology Ecology six years ago, one complete plastid genome of Belian was assembled for comparative analyses of the plastomes in Lauraceae. However, Ariati et al. (2023) concluded that our sequenced Belian individual could be located in the clade of Myristicaceae instead of that of Lauraceae. Here, we performed re-analyses of additional two Belian plastomes, along with 42 plastomes from plants spanning ten families of the Magnoliids. The plastomes of the three Belian individuals range from 157,535 to 157,577 bp in length. Comparative genomic analysis revealed 170 mutation sites in their plastomes, which include 111 substitutions, 53 indels, and six microinversions. Phylogeny was reconstructed using maximum likelihood and Bayesian approaches for 44 magnoliids species indicated that our three Belian individuals are nested among the species in the family Lauraceae rather than Myristicaceae.

Land plants have undergone their great diversification and evolution in the past 400 million years. Although appearing complex and hard to grasp, the evolution of plants centers around an invariable core development process, SRC (Sexual Reproductive Cycle). Various modifications have been added sequentially to this core process, and thus creating various novel organs and distinguishing their bearers one from another. Reproductive organs of all land plants, including sporangium, megasporangium, metamegasporangium (= ovule), and various metamegasporangium complexes, are derived from terminal sporangia in the earliest land plants. Throughout the million-year-long evolution, plants sequentially recruit associating accessories to protect their vulnerable core parts (spore and gamete). The occurrence of every single of these novelties is a stair marking land plant reproduction evolution and leads to enhanced offspring development conditioning (ODC).

Hyper duplex stainless steels, HDSS, are a new alloy group of duplex stainless steels with the highest corrosion resistance and mechanical properties among the existing modern stainless steel. Due to the addition of extra high content of alloying elements, e.g. Cr, Ni, Mo, etc., the crystallization behavior of the δ-ferrite from the liquid is of vital importance for controlling the steel properties. In this work, the effect of cooling rate (i.e. 4°C/min and 150 °C/min) on the growth process of δ-ferrite in S33207 during the solidification process was investigated using high-temperature confocal scanning laser microscopy (HT-CLSM) in combination with electron microscopes and thermodynamic calculation. The results showed that the solidification mode of S33207 steel was a ferrite-austenite type (FA mode). L→δ transformation occurred at a certain degree of supercooling, and merging occurred during the growth of δ phase dendrites. Similar microstructures were observed after solidification under these two different cooling rates. The variation of area fraction of δ ferrite at the free surface and temperature as well as time during solidification of S33207 steels were calculated at different cooling rates of 4 °C/min and 150 °C/min, respectively. The current HT-CLSM study provides in-situ experimental evidence to confirm that a low cooling rate favored the growth of primary δ-ferrite, whereas a high cooling rate favored the nucleation of primary δ-ferrite during the solidification process. The post-microstructure as well as composition evolution is also briefly investigated. This work shed light on the real time insights for the crystallization behavior of hyper duplex stainless steels during solidification, which aims to contribute to the process control of manufacturing of this steel grade.

Abstract: Safety issues related to the electrification of more electric aircraft (MEA) need to be addressed because of the increasing complexity of aircraft electrical power systems and the growing number of safety-critical sub-systems that need to be powered. Managing the energy storage systems and the flexibility in the load-side plays an important role in preserving the system’s safety when facing an energy shortage. This paper presents a system-level centralized operation management strategy based on model predictive control (MPC) for MEA to schedule battery systems and exploit flexibility in the demand-side while satisfying time-varying operational requirements. The proposed online control strategy aims to maintain energy storage (ES) and prolong the battery life cycle, while minimizing load shedding, with fewer switching activities to improve devices lifetime and to avoid unnecessary transients. Using a mixed-integer linear programming (MILP) formulation, different objective functions are proposed to realize the control targets, with soft constraints improving the robustness of the model. Besides, an evaluation framework is proposed to analyze the effects of various objective functions and the prediction horizon on system performance, which provides the designers and users of MEA and other complex systems with new insights into operation management problem formulation.

Modified aluminum slag (MAS) was applied as an adsorbent for Congo red (CR) prepared by the hydrothermal treatment of Ca (OH) 2. At 25 ℃, with a MAS dosage of 0.3g, initial CR concentration of 100 mg/L and initial pH=5, and the adsorption time was 40 min, the CR removal efficiency was 98.41%. The adsorption trend of CR conformed to the second-order kinetics, and the adsorption isotherm follows the Freundlich isotherm model. Compared with RAS, MAS has a larger pore volume and specific surface area. The mechanism of action of MAS on CR was the interaction between membrane diffusion and internal diffusion, and the adsorption rate during the membrane diffusion was the fastest.

Excessive high fat diet (HFD) consumption can induce food addiction which is believed to involve the communication between the hypothalamus and mesolimbic dopaminergic neurons, originating in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) and projecting to the nucleus accumbens (NAc). These brain regions are densely populated with opioid receptors, raising the possibility that these receptors, and particularly mu opioid receptors (MORs), are involved in mediating reward induced by palatable foods. This study sought to investigate the involvement of MORs in high fat diet (HFD)-induced reward and if there is any difference between male and female subjects in this response. We also assessed if exposure to HFD would potentiate the rewarding action of oxycodone, a relatively selective MOR agonist. The place conditioning paradigm was used to determine if conditioning for a short time (STC, 2 h) or long time (LTC, 16 h) with HFD induces reward or alters the rewarding action of oxycodone. Male and female C57BL/6J mice as well as MOR knockout and wildtype mice of both sexes were tested for basal place preference on day 1 and then conditioned with HFD in one chamber and regular chow diet (RCD) in another chamber and tested for place preference again after three sets of STC and again after a set of LTC. Each set consisted of two conditioning with RCD and two conditioning with HFD. Controls were conditioned with RCD in both conditioning chambers. Following the last place preference test, mice were treated with oxycodone and conditioned in the HFD-paired chamber and saline in the RCD-paired chamber for one hour once a day to explore the possibility if the HFD could alter oxycodone reward. The result showed that HFD induced conditioned place preference (CPP) in both male and female subjects following the LTC. This response was further potentiated after oxycodone conditioning. The latter response was mediated via MORs, as it was blunted in MOR knockout mice. However, HFD-induced CPP was observed following LTC in only female MOR knockout mice, suggesting for sexual dimorphism in this response.

Background: Mucoadhesive polymers represent a major part of site-specific and localized retention strategies in oral drug delivery. Present research was designed to synthesize and characterize a novel mucoadhesive carbohydrate polymer (thiolated gum ghatti; TGG) which was further employed to fabricate mucoadhesive tablets of domperidone using an industrially viable compression coating technique. Methods: Thiolation of gum ghatti was achieved by the ester formation (esterification) between hydroxyl group and carboxyl group of gum ghatti and thioglycolic acid. Results: TGG was characterized by various physico-chemical techniques such as FTIR, XRD, SEM and DSC techniques. In rheological studies, the observed viscosities of pure gum-mucin were 45.45 and 71.75 mPas and that of thiolated gum were 78.7 and 112.58 mPas respectively in water and simulated gastric fluid. Signifi-cant increase in viscosity for thiolated gum may be attributed to increased macromolecular interactions responsible for enhanced mucoadhesive potential of thiolated gum. In-silico studies corroborate the role of mucin gum interaction and energetic stabilization for en-hanced mucoadhesion properties of thiolated gum. Ex-vivo mucoadhesion strength of gum ghatti and thiolated gum ghatti coated tablets was found to be ranging between 4.67± 0.79 to 8.99± 0.75 g and 11.76± 1.34 to 18.83± 2.07 g respectively. Conclusion: Thiolated gum ghatti may be regarded as a promising polymer for developing different mucoadhesive drug delivery systems.

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is the second common hematologic malignancy in children. The incidence of childhood AML is much lower than acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), which makes the childhood AML a rare disease in children. The role of genetic abnormalities in AML classification, management and prognosis prediction is much more important than before. The WHO classification of myeloid neoplasms and the European LeukemiaNet (ELN) classification were both revised in 2022. The application of the new information in childhood AML will be upcoming in the next few years. The frequency of each genetic abnormality in adult and childhood AML is different, therefore, in this review we emphasize in well-known genetic subtypes in childhood AML, including Core-binding factor AML (CBF AML), KMT2Ar (KMT2A/11q23 rearrangement) AML, normal karyotypes AML with somatic mutations, unbalanced cytogenetic abnormalities AML, NUP98 11p15/NUP09 rearrangement AML and acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL). Current risk group classification, management algorithm in childhood AML and novel treatment modalities, such as targeted therapy, immune therapy, chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy are reviewed. Finally, the indications of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) in AML are discussed.

The aim of the presents study is to further expand the model of translational cross-validation by investigating the brain circuits or networks which underpin the same tasks by means of group independent component analysis for FMRI toolbox (GIFT). We hypothesized that there will be neural network patterns of activation and deactivation, which correspond to real time performance on clinical self-evaluation scales. We recruited 42 subjects: 20 healthy controls and 22 patients with major depressive episode. All subjects underwent functional MRI scanning using paradigm comprised of diagnostic clinical self-assessment depression scale contrasted to neutral scale. The data were processed with group independent component analysis for functional MRI toolbox and statistical parametric mapping. The results have demonstrated that there exist positively or negatively modulated brain networks during processing of diagnostic specific task questions for major depressive disorder. There have also been confirmed differences in the networks processing diagnostic versus off blocks between patients and controls in anterior cingulate cortex and middle frontal gyrus. Diagnostic conditions (depression scale) when contrasted to neutral conditions demonstrate differential activity of right superior frontal gyrus and right middle cingulate cortex in the comparison of patients with healthy controls. It is for the first time when potential neuroimaging state dependent biomarker has been directly linked with clinical assessment self-evaluation scale, administered as stimuli simultaneously with the fMRI acquisition. It may be regarded as further evidence in support of the ability of both methods to concordantly distinguish groups by means of incremental translational cross-validation.

The main idea of this paper is to investigate the exact solutions and dynamic properties in optical nanofibers, which is modeled by space-time fractional perturbed nonlinear schr\"odinger equation involving Kerr law nonlinearity with conformal fractional derivative. Firstly, by the complex fractional traveling wave transformation, the traveling wave system of the original equation is obtained, then a conserved quantity, namely the Hamiltonian is constructed, and the qualitative analysis of this system is conducted via this quantity by classifying the equilibrium points. Moreover, the prior estimate of the existence of the soliton and periodic solution is established via the bifurcation method. Furthermore, all exact traveling wave solutions are constructed to illustrate our results explicitly by the complete discrimination system for polynomial method.

Psychotic disorders occur as a result of pathobiochemical processes in the brain, which disrupt the central neurotransmission of molecules such as dopamine and glutamate. The dopamine hypothesis, adopted more than 2 decades ago, has repeatedly asserted its position as an etiopathogenetic substrate through the action of psychostimulants and neuroleptics on the mesolimbic and mesocortical systems, giving insight into the origin of positive and negative schizophrenic symptoms. On the other hand, cognitive impairments in schizophrenia remain not fully understood but are thought to be present during all stages of the disease, as well as in the prodromal the interictal and residual phases. Over the last decade, functional magnetic resonance imaging has focused on research of brain networks like the Default mode network, the Salience network and Central executive network, enabling a deeper understanding of cognitive deficits, as well as other phenomena such as disorganization of thought and behavior. The study of the nodes of these networks, such as the precuneus and insula, informs about their complex significant roles as structures responsible for important cognitive domains such as concentration, attention, ability to understand and reproduce information, as well as memory functions. It is suggested that the neurotransmission of dopamine and glutamate play a key role in these processes and their successful modulation in the correct brain regions through psychopharmacological and biomedical instrumental methods may lead to a significant reversal of conventional paradigms. Pharmaco-magnetic resonance imaging is a neuroimaging method that can provide the translation of scientific knowledge about the neural networks and the disruptions in and between different brain regions, into clinically applicable and effective therapeutic results in the management of severe psychotic disorders.

It is introduced and studied para-Ricci-like solitons with potential Reeb vector field on almost paracontact almost paracomplex Riemannian manifolds. The special cases of para-Einstein-like, para-Sasaki-like and having a torse-forming Reeb vector field have been considered. It is proved a necessary and sufficient condition the manifold to admit a para-Ricci-like soliton which is the structure to be para-Einstein-like. Explicit examples are provided in support of the proven statements.

Individual users' payment behaviors have changed. The diffusion of mobile devices makes people suitable for proximity mobile payment (PMP) services without the need for traditional payment. Existing mobile payment literature mainly focuses on users' adoption and continuous usage behavior, nevertheless, switching behavior on payment received little attention, especially focusing on why users switch from traditional payment to PMP. Thus, the objective of the current research is to investigate factors influencing users’ traditional payment - PMP switching to comprehend how these factors shape users’ switching intentions. We developed a traditional payment - PMP transition model based on the push-pull-mooring framework derived from migration theory. This research adopted a structural equation modeling analysis on 311 valid data. The findings indicate that a push factor drives users away from traditional payment in terms of dissatisfaction. The pull factors, including perceived substitutability and perceived usefulness, attract users to PMP. Furthermore, in terms of perceived technical compatibility, a positive mooring factor facilitates users' switching to PMP. The negative mooring factor, in terms of perceived risk, hinder users' switching intention. However, another pull factor - perceived ease of use, failed to influence switching intention significantly. This study found some distinctions between mobile payment switching and mobile payment adoption. These findings provide pivotal insights for mobile payment service providers.

Magnetic levitation vibration isolation platform are essential for testing space telescopes. This paper presents the design of a Large Air-Gap Voice Coil Motor (LAG-VCM) specifically for use in such platforms. The electromagnetic design of the voice coil motor begins with the Equivalent Magnetic Circuit Method, followed by the analysis and optimization of the motor design using Finite Element Analysis (FEA). Subsequently, a prototype was constructed and tested. The test results confirm that the prototype meets the design specifications and requirements.

Quantifying the landscape pattern change can effectively demonstrate the ecological progresses and the consequences of urbanization. Based on remotely sensed land cover data in 1994, 2000, 2006 and a gradient analysis with landscape metrics at landscape- and class- level, we attempted to characterize the individual and entire landscape patterns of Shanghai metropolitan during the rapid urbanization. We highlighted that a roadscape transect approach that combined the buffer zone method and the transect-based approach was introduced to describe the urban-rural patterns of agricultural, residential, green, industrial, and public facilities land along the railway route. Our results of landscape metrics showed significant spatiotemporal patterns and gradient variations along the transect. The urban growth pattern in two time spans conform to the hypothesis for diffusion–coalescence processes, implying that the railway is adaptive as a gradient element to analyze the landscape patterns with urbanization. As the natural landscape was replaced by urban landscape gradually, the urban fringe expanded radically. The results also showed that the desakota region expanded its extent widely. Satellite towns witnessed the continual transformation from the predominantly rural landscape to peri-urban landscape. Furthermore, the gap between urban and rural areas remained large especially in public service. More reasonable urban plans and land use policies should push to make more of an effort to transition from the urban-rural separation to coordinated urban-rural development. This study is a meaningful trial in demonstrating a new form of urban–rural transects to study the landscape change of large cities from a strategic viewpoint. By combining gradient analysis with landscape metrics, we addressed the process of urbanization both spatially and temporally, and provided a more quantitative approach to urban studies.

Digitalization have force emerging markets (EMs) firms operating in resource-constrained environment to adopt market-driven strategies, particularly frugal innovation, to provide affordable, optimize processes and high-value solutions. However, understanding the mechanisms behind developing frugal innovation capability (FIC) at the firm level in diverse EMs remains limited. From the perspective of the Resource-based View, this study added to the existing body of knowledge by exploring how strategic orientation (entrepreneurial orientation (EO) and market orientation (MO)) and organizational ambidexterity (OA) impact the development of FIC in EMs. The study utilized a cross-sectional survey in data collection with 386 valid respondents from Tanzanian manufacturing firms to empirically validate our theoretical predictions. The results show that both EO and MO have strong and positive association with OA and the development of FIC in EMs. In addition, OA partially mediate the relationship of both EO and MO with the development of FIC. Furthermore, our results indicate that MO exerts a more significant impact on the development of FIC than EO in EMs. Managers of manufacturing firms in EMs can use these findings to review their strategic decisions and their exploitative and exploratory approaches to enhance supply chains, develop cost-effective technologies, and produce affordable offerings that cater to the preferences of price-conscious consumers in the digitalization age.

The European Union Water Framework Directive (2000/60/EC; WFD) aims to achieve a good ecological and chemical status of all bodies of surface water by 2027. The development of an integrated guidance on surface water chemical monitoring (e.g. WFD Guidance Document No. 7/19) has been transferred into national German law (Ordinance for the Protection of Surface Waters, OGewV). For the majority of compounds, this act requires a monthly sampling frequency to assess the chemical water quality status of a surface water body. To evaluate the representativeness of the sampling strategy under the OGewV, high-frequency online monitoring data is investigated under different sampling scenarios and compared with current, monthly grab sampling strategy. About 23 million data points were analyzed for this study, three chemical parameters (dissolved oxygen, nitrate-nitrogen, chloride concentration) and discharge data were selected from four catchment of different sizes ranging from 51391 km² to 84 km² (Elbe, Vereinigte Mulde, Neiße and two stations at Lockwitzbach). In this paper we proposed short-term online-monitoring (STOM) as a sampling alternative. STOM considers the placement of online sensors over a limited duration and return interval. In general we: (I) compare the results of conventional grab sampling with STOM, (II) investigate the different performance of STOM and grab sampling using discharge data as proxy for analyzing event-mobilized pollutants and (III) investigate the related uncertainties and costs of both sampling methods. Results show, that STOM outperforms grab sampling for parameters where minimum/maximum concentrations are required by law as the probability to catch a single extreme value is higher with STOM. Furthermore, parameters showing a pronounced diurnal pattern, like dissolved oxygen, are also captured considerably better. The performance of STOM showed no substantial improvements for parameters with small concentration variability, as nitrogen-nitrate The analysis of discharge events as a proxy parameter for event-mobilized pollutants proved that the probability of capturing samples during events is significantly increased by STOM.

Digital technology makes energy systems more dynamic, efficient, reliable and sustainable. Promoting the digital governance of renewable energy is not only a key part of energy transformation, but also an important initiative to cope with the global energy crisis, which provides a new impetus for realizing the goal of net-zero emissions. In order to achieve the "dual-carbon" goal, China has been actively promoting energy reform and enhancing the wide application of digital technologies in the development and utilization of renewable energy. The digital governance system and governance capacity of renewable energy is an important support for the modernization of the national governance system and governance capacity. Although the digital governance of renewable energy in China has better policy support and advantages, the dilemmas it faces are still relatively prominent, including unsound laws and policies, insufficient governance capacity, and security loopholes in digital technology, etc. Therefore, this paper proposes a problem-oriented approach to the digital governance of renewable energy. Therefore, this paper puts forward problem-oriented optimization suggestions to innovate the legal system of renewable energy digital governance, promote the digital transformation of China's renewable energy industry, provide development space for renewable energy digital governance in a diversified mode, and enhance the digital governance capacity by improving the renewable energy security system.

A space charge density wireless measurement system based on the idea of distributed measurement is proposed for collecting and monitoring the space charge density in an ultra-high-voltage direct-current (UHVDC) environment. The proposed system architecture is composed of a number of wireless nodes connected with space charge density sensors and a base station. The space charge density sensor based on atmospheric ion counter method is elaborated and developed, and the ARM microprocessor and Zigbee radio frequency module are applied. The wireless network communication quality and the relationship between energy consumption and transmission distance in the complicated electromagnetic environment is tested. Based on the experimental results, the proposed measurement system demonstrates that it can adapt to the complex electromagnetic environment under the UHVDC transmission lines and can accurately measure the space charge density.

Currently, peptic ulcers are widely studied as an infectious disease caused by Helicobacter pylori primarily due to 3 supporting evidences, and this etiology may explain the other 3 observations, but cannot confront the challenges of the 15 major characteristics and the other 75 observations/phenomena of peptic ulcers. To address the challenges, a recently published Complex Causal Relationship with its accompanying methodologies was applied to analyze existing data. Peptic ulcers are identified as a psychosomatic disease triggered by psychological stress, where Helicobacter pylori plays a secondary role in only the late phase of ulceration. This new etiology elucidated all the 15 major characteristics and 81 observations/phenomena of peptic ulcers in a series of 6 articles. This sixth article focuses exclusively on the controversies surrounding the role of Helicobacter pylori in peptic ulcers. In-depth analyses find that all the 3 evidences supporting “peptic ulcers are an infectious disease caused by Helicobacter pylori” are deceiving, and 2 of the 3 explainable observations may have been misinterpreted. Meanwhile, the definitions of ‘etiological factor’ and ‘causality’ do not support ‘H. pylori infection is an etiological factor of peptic ulcers’, and existing literatures have presented a controversial view on the role of Helicobacter pylori in peptic ulcers. Interestingly, if “peptic ulcers are an infectious disease caused by Helicobacter pylori” is considered an illusion, all the characteristics of the disease, along with all the clinical, epidemiological, and laboratory observations/phenomena, can be fully understood. This illusion has misguided peptic ulcer research over the past 36 years with little progress in the field, and that may represent a widespread situation in modern medical research, resulting in a direct interference with the true understanding of disease. Evidently, keeping the concept “illusion” in mind may help remove a huge obstacle that impedes medical advance, thereby facilitating the in-depth study of disease.

University students, particularly those in the healthcare disciplines, constitute a category of particular interest in regard to COVID-19 vaccines and the attitudes to vaccination, as their future professional role will enable them to inform and educate citizens regarding vaccination. The objectives of the study were to investigate the vaccination coverage with a COVID-19 vaccine among students from different degree programs at the Medical universities in Bulgaria behaviors and attitudes toward vaccination with a COVID-19 vaccine. A prospective cross-sectional study in the period September 2021- March 2022 was conducted. Information on demographics, university program, year of study, general attitudes and behavior towards vaccines and attitudes and personal experience with COVID-19 and COVID-19 vaccines were collected. The chi-square test was used to test for associations and binominal logistic regression was used to identify possible predictors for vaccination. A total of 3050 students with a median age of 22 years, predominantly female took part in the study. Three-thirds of the students (73.5%) have been vaccinated against COVID-19. The main reasons for vaccine hesitancy in both group of students were the fear of side effects and the doubts about the safety of the vaccines although non-vaccinated students significantly more frequently express those fears. Respondents who considered to have: a) limited access to sufficient information to inform COVID-19 vaccine uptake; b) lack of public awareness and education campaigns about effectiveness and safety of COVID-19 vaccines; c) insufficient information about COVID-19 vaccines during the University education; and d) had a positive COVID-19 diagnosis were less likely to be vaccinated. Students who have not completed the mandatory immunization cycle according to country schedule were also less likely to have completed COVID-19 vaccination. The students showed an overall positive attitude towards the COVID-19 vaccines. Promoting informational campaigns that emphasize the vaccine's safety will be more effective to further increase the vaccination coverage with COVID-19 vaccines.

A simple design of an ultrathin six-band polarization-insensitive terahertz perfect metamaterial absorber (PMMA) composed of a metal cross-cave-patch resonator (CCPR) placed over a ground plane was proposed and investigated numerically. The numerical simulation results demonstrate that the average absorption peaks are up to 95% at six resonance frequencies with high quality-factors (>65). In addition, the absorption properties can be kept stability for both normal incident transverse magnetic (TM) and transverse electric (TE) waves. The physical mechanism behind the observed high level absorption is illustrated by the electric and power loss density distributions. The different absorption mainly originates from the higher order multipolar and multipolar plasmon resonance of the structure, which are sharp different to the most previous studies of the PMMAs. Furthermore, the resonance absorption of the PMMA can be tunable by varying the geometric parameters of the unit cell.

A simple design of an ultrathin six-band polarization-insensitive terahertz perfect metamaterial absorber (PMMA) composed of a metal cross-cave-patch resonator (CCPR) placed over a ground plane was proposed and investigated numerically. The numerical simulation results demonstrate that the average absorption peaks are up to 95% at six resonance frequencies with high quality-factors (>65). In addition, the absorption properties can be kept stability for both normal incident transverse magnetic (TM) and transverse electric (TE) waves. The physical mechanism behind the observed high level absorption is illustrated by the electric and power loss density distributions. The different absorption mainly originates from the higher order multipolar and multipolar plasmon resonance of the structure, which are sharp different to the most previous studies of the PMMAs. Furthermore, the resonance absorption of the PMMA can be tunable by varying the geometric parameters of the unit cell.

Ti and its alloys are the most commonly used materials for biomedical applications. However, bacterial infection after implant placement is still one of the significant rising complications. Therefore, the application of the antimicrobial agents into implant surfaces to prevent implant-associated infection has attracted lots of attention. Scientific papers have shown that inorganic antibacterial metal element (e.g. Ag, Cu, Zn) can be introduced to implant surfaces with the addition of metal nanoparticles or metallic compounds into electrolyte via micro-arc oxidation (MAO) technology. In this review, the effects of the composition and concentration of electrolyte and process parameters (e.g. voltage, current density, oxidation time) on morphological characteristics (e.g. surface morphology, bonding strength), antibacterial ability and biocompatibility of MAO antimicrobial coating were discussed in detail. Anti-infection and osseo-integration can be simultaneously accomplished with the selection of the proper antibacterial elements and operating parameters. Besides, MAO assisted by magnetron sputtering (MS) to endow Ti-based implant materials with superior antibacterial ability and biocompatibility was also discussed. Finally, the development trend of MAO technology in the future was forecasted.

Tao and Ming (name) or Tao and Yan (language or speech) is an inseparable pair of important concepts in traditional Chinese language philosophy. In LaoTze’s opinion, Tao could not be spoken out, and language or speech could not reach Tao’s essence. Yan and Tao are separated from each other, and they are paradoxical. All the confusion derives from Yan regardless of how delicate they are. Tao can be expressed in words, but it will never be expressed through common languages. In this article, Tao is regarded as a human being’s thoughts or intentions and is even considered to be the origin of the real world. Language can express people’s thought, although it has some limitations. There exist some contradictions between the real word and the world expressed in words. To enable people to better understand the existence of the real world from multiple perspectives at the language or linguistic level without being constrained by words, this article studies LaoTze’s linguistic philosophy reflected in his opinion on the relationship between Tao and Yan and makes a comparative analysis of modern Western language philosophers’ stand on language (or speech) and existence.

In order to tackle the issue of severe rocking phenomenon under seismic conditions in structures equipped with steel spring isolation bearings, this paper investigates a novel type of anti-rocking bearing. Firstly, the structural configuration and working principle of the novel anti-rocking bearing are introduced, and a design method for bearing parameters is proposed. Secondly, a finite element analysis model is established using SAP2000 software to conduct nonlinear dynamic time history analysis under seismic loading. The analysis results show that the structural arrangement of the novel anti-rocking bearing reduces both the vertical displacement difference and the rocking angle of the isolation layer. The bearing exhibits a certain level of anti-rocking effect, but it may cause significant tensile forces in some bearings, necessitating the installation of anti-tensile reinforcement. The effectiveness of the anti-rocking effect improves as the stiffness of the steel tension rod in the bearing increases; however, it also leads to higher maximum tension in individual bearings as well as the total tension in all bearings. For structures equipped with the novel anti-rocking bearing, the acceleration amplifies under most cases, with amplification coefficients ranging from 0.82 to 1.55. The performance of the novel anti-rocking bearing varies significantly for different seismic waves. The stiffness of the steel tension rod should be determined considering the reference pressure of the bearing and the maximum designed tension of the bearing. Through the finite element simulation of the bearing, the mechanical properties of the bearing are basically the same as the theoretical analysis results. For the cylinder and the joint bearing, certain structural measures need to be taken to ensure its strength and stiffness.

It is expected that scholars will continue to strengthen the depth and breadth of theoretical research on RIS, so as to provide a higher theoretical upper bound for the engineering application of RIS. While making breakthroughs in academic research, great progress has been made in engineering application research and industrialization promotion. This article will provide an overview of RIS engineering applications, mainly including the typical features, typical classifications, and typical deployment scenarios of RIS. Then the challenges and candidate solutions of the RIS are systematically and deeply analyzed, involving the cascade channel decoupling for solving the RIS beamforming, the influences and solutions of RIS regulation constraints, RIS system architecture of network controlled mode, the integrated channel regulation and information modulation, TDD mechanism used for RIS. Future trends and challenges are also provided.

Sea cucumber peptides are small molecular peptides with biological function obtained from fresh sea cucumber as feedstock, which were hydrolyzed by protease, separated ,and purified. As the main product of sea cucumber refinement, it more accurately expresses the nutritional effect of sea cucumber and has a wide range of potential applications. It has been demonstrated that sea cucumber has a certain value-added effect on bone mineral density regulation, but the differences in bone mineral density regulation of extracts from different parts of sea cucumber and the techniques contributing to the efficient isolation of bone sea cucumber peptides have not been reported. Firstly, the aim of this study was to reveal the differences in osteogenic activities of enzymatic peptides from three major parts of sea cucumber: the body wall, the egg protein, and the intestinal protein. Then, the bone-enhancing sea cucumber peptides were isolated based on the characteristics of the dif-ferences in molecular weight distribution, hydrophilicity, and ionisation degree of sea cucumber, and to explore the possible mechanisms of their action. The findings indicated that sea cucumber peptides extracted from three distinct sites exhibited a dose-dependent enhancement of osteoblast proliferation and differentiation. Upon evaluating the three methods of sea cucumber peptide separation based on molecular weight distribution, hydrophilicity, and ionization, it was observed that the fraction isolated by hydrophobicity and

Soil organic matter (SOM) is important for the global carbon cycle, and hyperspectral remote sensing has proven a promising method for fast SOM content estimation. However, soil physical properties significantly affect the sensitivity of satellite hyperspectral imaging to SOM, leading to poor generalization ability of the estimation model. This study aims to improve the spatiotemporal transferability of the SOM prediction model by alleviating the coupling effect of soil physical properties on the spectra. Based on satellite hyperspectral images and soil physical variables, including soil moisture (SM), soil surface roughness (root mean squared height, RMSH), and soil bulk weight (SBW), a soil spectral correction strategy was established based on the information unmixing method. Two important grain-producing areas in Northeast China were selected as study areas to verify the performance and transferability of the spectral correction model and SOM content prediction model. The results showed that soil spectral corrections based on fourth-order polynomials and the XG-Boost algorithm had excellent accuracy and generalization ability, with residual predictive deviations (RPD) exceeding 1.4 in almost all bands. In addition, when the soil spectral correction strategy was adopted, the accuracy of the SOM prediction model and the generalization ability after model migration were significantly improved. The SOM prediction accuracy based on the XG-Boost corrected spectrum was the highest, with a coefficient of determination (R2) of 0.76, root mean square error (RMSE) of 5.74 g/kg, and RPD of 1.68. The prediction accuracy, R2, RMSE, and RPD of the model after migration were 0.72, 6.71 g/kg, and 1.53, respectively. Compared with the direct migration prediction of the model, adopting the soil spectral correction strategy based on fourth-order polynomials and XG-Boost reduced the RMSE of the SOM prediction results by 57.90% and 60.27%, respectively. The performance comparison highlighted the advantages of considering soil physical properties in regional-scale SOM prediction.

An active power dispatch method for a microgrid (MG) with multi-type loads, renewable energy sources (RESs) and distributed energy storage devices (DESDs) is the focus of this paper. The MG operates in a grid-connected model, and distributed power sources contribute to the service for load demands. The outputs of multiple DESDs are controlled to optimize the active power dispatch. Our goal with optimization is to reduce the economic cost under time-of-use (TOU) price, and to adjust the excessively high or low load rate of distributed transformers (DTs) caused by the peak-valley demand and load uncertainties. To simulate a practical environment, the stochastic characteristics of multi-type loads are formulated. The transition matrix of system state is provided. Then, a finite-horizon Markov decision process (FHMDP) model is established to describe the dispatch optimization problem. A learning-based technique is adopted to search the optimal joint control policy of multiple DESDs. Finally, simulation experiments are performed to validate the effectiveness of the proposed method, and the fuzzification analysis of the method is presented.

The greatly diversified flowering plants (angiosperms) are the dominating and defining group in the current earth ecosystem. However, from which group by what way the flowers, especially their gynoecia (key characteristics of angiosperms), are derived have been the questions in botany unanswered over centuries. Such an embarrassing situation can be attributed to the lack of plants with partially enclosed ovules, which are supposed to be a post between gymnosperms and angi-osperms. Here we report a fossil plant that has an apparent coniferous vegetative and reproduc-tive morphologies but has a single seed partially wrapped by the subtending bract. Such a mor-phology suggests that the carpels in angiosperms may be equivalent to bracts enclosing their axil-lary seed(s). Such a non-traditional interpretation of the homology of angiosperm carpels is com-patible with various new progresses made in botany and is in line with Tomlinson’s recent hy-pothesis. Together with other fossil evidence reported recently, it appears that gynoecia in angio-sperms are derived in multiple ways.

Spaceborne altimeters are an important data source for obtaining global sea surface wind speeds (U10). Although many altimeter U10 algorithms have been proposed and they perform well, there is still room for improvement. In this study, the data from ten altimeters were collocated with buoys to investigate the error of the altimeter U10 retrievals. The U10 residuals were found to be significantly dependent on many oceanic and atmospheric parameters. Because these oceanic and atmospheric parameters are inter-correlated, an asymptotic strategy was used to isolate the impact of different parameters and establish a neural-network-based correction model of altimeter U10. The results indicated that significant wave heights and mean wave periods are effective in correcting U10 retrievals, probably due to the tilting modulation of long-waves on the sea surface. After the wave correction, the root-mean-square error of the retrieved U10 was reduced from 1.42 m/s to 1.24 m/s and the impacts of thermodynamic parameters, such as sea surface (air) temperate, became negligible. The U10 residuals after correction showed that the atmospheric instability can lead to errors on extrapolated buoy U10. The buoy measurements with large air-sea temperature differences need to be excluded in the Cal/Val of remotely sensed U10.

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are involved in the process of extracellular matrix (ECM) remodeling where collagens play a pivotal role. We recently demonstrated that the remodeling of adsorbed collagen type I might be disordered upon oxidation following its fate in the presence of human adipose-derived MSC (ADMSCs). With the present study, we intended to learn more about the effect of polyphenolic antioxidant Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) attempting to mimic the conditions of oxidative stress in vivo and its putative prevention by antioxidants. Collagen Type I was isolated from mouse tail tendon (MTC) and labeled with FITC before oxidizing according to Fe2+/H2O2 protocol. FITC-collagen remodeling by ADMSC was assessed morphologically before and after EGCG pretreatment and confirmed via detailed morphometry analysis measuring the anisotropy index (AI) and fluorescence intensity (FI) in selected regions of interest (ROI), namely: outside the cells; over the cells and central (nuclear perinuclear) region, whereas the pericellular proteolytic activity was measured by de-quenching of fluorescent collagen probes (FRET effect). Here we provide morphological evidence that MTC undergoes significant reorganization by the adhering ADMSC along with the substantial activation of pericellular proteolysis, and further confirm that both processes are suppressed upon collagen oxidation. An important observation was that this abrogated remodeling cannot be prevented by the EGCG pretreatment. Conversely, the detailed morphometry analysis showed that oxidized FITC-collagen rather tends to accumulate beneath the cells and around the cell’s nuclei suggesting the activation of alternative routes for its removal, such as internalization and/or transcytosis. Morphometry analysis also revealed that both processes are supported by EGCG pretreatment.

Single-phase-to-ground fault in non-effectively grounded systems poses serious public safety concern. Along with increasing deployment of low-voltage (LV) sensors, new opportunities and ways are created for solving this traditional problem in distribution systems. A new approach, identifying primary single-phase-to-ground line fault and locating it through measurement data from smart sensors deployed in the secondary side of distribution transformers, is proposed in this paper. When a fault occurs in primary distribution feeder, the transient aerial mode voltage (AMV) of each LV smart sensor is calculated. The fault line can be identified by an abrupt change value of AMV at LV side. Next, by finding the position of the maximum value of this AMV from LV sensors on the fault line, the fault location can be pinpointed to two neighboring distribution transformers. The proposed method has been proven to be efficient and reliable by simulation studies.

As traditional supply chains face increasingly severe environmental issues and countries promote green development and sustainable development policy concepts, cultivating green supply chain operation models is gradually being highly valued by current governments and enterprises. Generally speaking, the production of green products incurs higher additional costs and thus their total production costs also increase. In this work, the product green level is related to the random demand. Under the green supply chain buy-back contract with the green product R&amp;D cost sharing between the manufacturer and the retailer, both the product green level and the order quantity need to be decided to maximize the channel profit. In order to coordinate the green supply chain, the manufacturer needs to share both the risk of good salvage and the green product R&amp;D cost with the retailer. We find that both the wholesale price and buy-back price increase in the manufacturer’s proposition of the green product R&amp;D cost, but decrease in emission reduction efficiency coefficient or carbon trading price. In addition, the product green level, the optimal order quantity and the channel profit increase in emission reduction efficiency coefficient, but decrease in the R&amp;D cost coefficient of the product green level. Interestingly, we find that if the carbon trading price is low, the manufacturer will set a low product green level and the product carbon emission trading is a cost for the supply chain. The increment of the carbon trading price leads to a higher cost such that the channel profit is decreased. However, if the carbon trading price is high, the manufacturer will set a high product green level and the product carbon emission trading is a revenue for the supply chain. The increment of the carbon trading price leads to a higher revenue such that the channel profit is increased.

Semantic communication is not obsessed with improving the accuracy of transmitted symbols, but is concerned with expressing the desired meaning that the symbol sequence exactly carried. However, the generation and measurement of semantic messages are still an open problem. Expansion combines simple things into complex systems and even generates intelligence, which is consistent with the evolution of the human language system. We apply this idea to semantic communication system, quantifying and transmitting semantics by symbol sequences, and investigate the semantic information system in a similar way as Shannon did for digital communication systems. This work was the first to propose the concept of semantic expansion and knowledge collision, which may provide a new paradigm for semantic communications. We believe that expansion and collision will be the cornerstone of semantic information theory.

The Goldbach Conjecture, which is frequently termed as “1 + 1”, has been a fascinating goal for many mathematicians over centuries. A Chinese mathematician, Dr. Jingrun Chen, proved 1 + 2, which is a great success and the best result so far achieved. Although there were several attempts proving the conjecture, these attempts are either tediously long, complicated, or logically imperfect, thus not widely accepted. Taking advantage of the periodicity of primes, here the author provides a straight forward rigorous proof for the Conjecture.

The damage evolution rules of coal under true triaxial combined static-dynamic loads are important to understand and reveal the mechanism of rockburst in coal mines. The numerical simulation was carried out using FLAC3D to explore the coupling effect of static and dynamic stress, especially the influence of dynamic load parameters. The results show that the increase of dynamic load amplitude not only makes the plastic zone grow exponentially and shorten the damage development time, but also decreases the residual strength of the coal sample, which leads to a much more violent of the dynamic failure. The stress wave can propagate more stable in the coal sample with the increase of dynamic load frequency and the development time of the plastic zone also show synchronous fluctuating features, and when the frequency is like the intrinsic frequency of the coal sample, the dynamic load has a significant stimulate effect. The static and dynamic loads have different damage effect to the coal sample under true triaxial stress path, the weight decreases in order of the minimum principal stress, the maximum principal, the amplitude of the dynamic load and at last the dynamic stress frequency by the entropy weight method analysis.

To ensure the security of highly sensitive remote sensing images (RSI) during their transmission, it is essential to implement effective content security protection methods. Generally, secure distribution schemes for remote sensing images often employ cryptographic techniques. However, sending encrypted data exposes communication behavior, which poses significant security risks to the distribution of remote sensing images. Therefore, this paper introduces deep information hiding to achieve secure distribution of remote sensing images, which can serve as an effective alternative in certain specific scenarios. Specifically, the Deep Information Hiding for RSI Distribution (hereinafter referred to as DIH4RSID) based on encoder-decoder network architecture with Parallel Attention Mechanisms (PAM) by adversarial training was proposed. Our model is constructed with four main components: a preprocessing network (PN), an embedding network (EN), a revealing network (RN) and a discriminating network (DN). The PN module is primarily based on Inception to capture more details of RSI and targets of different scales. The PAM module obtains features in two spatial directions to realize feature enhancement and context information integration. The experimental results indicate that our proposed algorithm achieves relatively higher visual quality and secure level compared to related methods. Additionally, after extracting the concealed content from hidden images, the average classification accuracy is unaffected.

The granulomatous cheilitis (GC) presents a heterogeneous group of disorders characterised by a granulomatous inflammation/reaction of the lips to various stimuli. Numerous etiologies have been proposed, including genetic, immunologic, allergic and infectious. Among the secondary causes of GC, a distant infection by Mycobacterium tuberculosis should be considered. The GC could be the clinical presentation of a tuberculide resulting from a hypersensitivity reaction to an underlying focus of active or latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI). This communication describes a woman diagnosed with GC related to LTBI, who responded well to antituberculosis treatment.

Refractive index measurements have been an important task for a long time because that index plays an essential role in describing the optical properties of a material. Many methods have been developed to perform that task. Some of them use interferometry to achieve high precision, however these configurations are complicated. Some measure the critical angle using simple structures, but the accuracy is not satisfactory because it is difficult to judge the exact critical angle with intensity variations. Here we propose several new schemes based on measuring the polarization change in the total internal reflection. The proposed method has the merits of simple structure and easy incident angle determination that gives the maximum phase change. Additionally, it is possible to find the material dispersion by measuring the wavelength dependence of the polarization ellipticity. Some useful formulas relating the refractive index with the maximum phase change are obtained. This work can provide valuable alternatives for index measurement.

The popularity and growth of additive manufacturing(AM) in recent years are due to its ability to provide innovative solutions to complex manufacturing challenges and its potential to transform the way products are designed, developed, and produced. In this work, the numerical simulation geometry of the model extruder from nozzle is established along with the material extrusion process. The high gravity material extrusion system (HG-MEX) properties and characteristics during filament fabrication are evaluated. This work investigates the effects of gravity on the material extrusion process from nozzle extrusion. This work is unique in the incorporation of fluid surface characteristics to represent the performance and contact with the material extrusion in additive manufacturing. The use of simulation in high gravity material extrusion in additive manufacturing is a meaningful and valuable approach to improving the quality and efficiency of the process.

This work investigated the influence of current density, plating solution flow rate, and nozzle outlet-cathode distance on the properties of Ni-diamond composite coatings. A multi-physics field simulation is employed to analyze the interplay between current density, plating solution flow rate, and nozzle outlet-cathode distance on the flow field and electric field distribution. Additionally, particle tracing simulations were incorporated into the model to evaluate the incorporation efficiency of diamond particles during composite electrodeposition. Experimental validation of the findings shows a significant increase in the diamond particle content of the coating. This combined approach provides valuable insights for optimizing the jet electrodeposition process for Ni-diamond composite coatings with superior properties.

This study empirically examines the spatial spillover effect of various environmental regulations on green technology innovation using panel data from 284 county-level cities in China between 2007 and 2019. A geographical-economic spatial weight matrix is constructed, and the spatial Durbin model is employed to identify the specific characteristics of this spillover effect. The findings indicate that the spatial spillover effect of green technology innovation primarily occurs through geographical transmission. However, there is no significant spatial autocorrelation when using the economic distance weight matrix. Various types of environmental regulations influence the spatial spillover effect of green technology innovation in distinct ways. Specifically, Market-motivated environmental regulation exhibits a U-shaped relationship with the spatial spillover effect, while Command-controlled environmental regulation demonstrates an inverted U-shaped relationship, suggesting a complementary effect. Additional research shows that the upgrading of industrial structure acts as a mediator between command environmental regulation and the spatial spillover effect of green technology innovation. Government departments should comprehensively coordinate Market-motivated environmental regulation and Command-controlled environmental regulation, accurately assess the intensity of Command-controlled measures, and prevent the migration of green technology innovation elements caused by excessive regulatory measures within enterprises.

Purpose：Herein, aimed to explore routines to improve students' physical health.Methods:We explored the integration of extracurricular fitness running "Lerun" into college physical education curriculum. Firstly, experimental and the referring groups were selected by experimental method, in which only the experimental group was intervened in combination with extracurricular fitness running "Lerun". After two experiments, the experimental and referring groups were compared in terms of physical fitness (speed, strength, endurance, flexibility, explosive force, etc.), sports skills, body shape, cardiopulmonary function, etc. Results:After T-test, significant differences (p<0.05) between these two groups prove that the students' physical health status of experimental group is better than that of the referring group. Conclusion：It manifests that integrating extracurricular fitness running "Lerun" into college physical education curriculum is an effective means to improve students' physical health.

The fractional diffusion equations with integrals play a significant role in describing anomalous diffusion phenomena. We first construct an appropriate resolvent family, and use the convolution theorem of Laplace transform, the probability density function, Cauchy integral formula and Fubini theorem to study its related equicontinuity, strongly continuity, compactness, etc. Then, a reasonable mild solution is defined. Finally, by combining some fixed point theorems, we obtain some conclusions on the existence and uniqueness of mild solutions.

MCrAlX (M: Ni or Co or both, X: minor elements) coatings have been widely used to protect hot components in gas turbines against oxidation and hot corrosion at high temperatures. Understanding the influence of the X-elements on oxidation behaviour is important in the design of durable MCrAlX coatings. In this study, NiCoCrAlX coatings doped with Y+Ru and Ce, respectively, were deposited on Inconel-792 substrate by HVOF. The samples were subjected to isothermal oxidation test in laboratory air at 9000, 1000, 1100 ºC and cyclic oxidation test between 100 ºC and 1100 ºC with 1 hour dwell time at 1100 ºC. It was observed that the coating with Ce shows a much higher oxidation rate than the coating with Y+Ru under both isothermal and cyclic oxidation tests. Besides, β-depletion due to interdiffusion between coating and substrate was significantly lower with Ru addition. Simulations results using both a moving phase boundary model and an established oxidation-diffusion model show that Ru stabilize β grains which reduces β-depletion of coating due to substrate interdiffusion. This paper presents a comprehensive study of the influence of Ce and Ru on oxidation behaviour including investigation of the microstructure evolution influenced by oxidation time at coating surface and coating-substrate interface combining experiment and simulation results.

Remote sensing technology is crucial for accurate rooftop detection, benefiting urban planning, disaster management, and solar resource estimation. This study employs Efficient Interactive Segmentation (EISEG) to enhance the efficiency of remote sensing image labeling, with a particular focus on rooftop detection. It is necessary to use modern technology because traditional manual labelling methods are labor-intensive and complicated. The study introduces a novel framework on deep learning semantic segmentation models, facilitating an efficient approach to rooftop identification using high-resolution UAV remote sensing datasets. Large dataset of labeled UAV rooftop building images, in which each superpixel region is assigned a binary label indicating rooftop presence. Advanced methods including Asymmetric Neural Network (ANN), Dual At-tention Network (DANet), PP-LiteSeg, and Deeplab3 are implemented for automatic rooftop detection due to their higher performance and advanced architectures. These models are executed on the Baidu deep learning platform PaddlePaddle, generating initial rooftop segmentation maps crucial for estimating photovoltaic resources. The ANN model emerges with the highest accuracy at 96%, followed by DANet at 95.09%, PP-LiteSeg at 94.54%, and Deeplab3 at 81.61%. The outcomes presenting efficient models for automated rooftop identification, and demonstrating the continuous need for improving deep learning techniques in smart and sustainable cities.

A lignin modified salt resistance branched high-performance water reducer was prepared via free radical polymerization. The water reducing agent was identified through Fourier transform infrared analysis, thermal gravimetric analysis, and scanning electron microscopy. The experiment conducted on cement paste demonstrates that the water-reducing efficiency can reach a maximum of 44%. Additionally, the significant spatial steric hindrance of the application enhances the dispersal capability of the water-reducing agent, resulting in effective water reduction and reduced viscosity. In addition, its compressive strength is the highest after 3-day curing and 3, 7, 28-day standard curing, and it has the best overall performance both in water and saline water prepared systems.The application in oil cement slurry shows that it exhibits good dispersibility in fresh water, saline water, and substitute ocean water. In the Halfaya and Missan Oilfields of Iraq, BHPWR was used in slurry with a density of 2.28g cm-3 for casing the 244.5 mm salt paste layer of five wells. Cementing results exceeded expectations with over 85% excellent and 100% qualified.

Background: The seasonal variation of peptic ulcers is a rhythmic phenomenon reported worldwide, exhibiting diverse patterns and controversies. Unfortunately, it has remained an unresolved mystery for more than 90 years. Numerous studies have found that this phenomenon was closely associated with multiple environmental factors, but the underlying mechanism has never been elucidated. Objectives: This study aims to elucidate the seasonal variation of peptic ulcers and identify the role of environmental factors in the disease. Methods: Based on a recently identified etiology of peptic ulcers, two inverse operations in calculus, differentiation and integration, are iterated to analyze the existing data. First, the fluctuation curve in the seasonal variation is differentiated twice into the monthly incidences caused by multiple individual environmental factors, and the fluctuation curve due to each individual environmental factor is generated separately. Second, the monthly incidences caused by the individual environmental factors are integrated twice to reproduce the fluctuation curves in the seasonal variation of peptic ulcers. Results: The differentiations of the fluctuation curves in the season variation reveal a parallel relationship between the psychological impacts of each individual environmental factor and the monthly incidences of peptic ulcers. The integrations of the monthly incidences caused by 3 environmental factors reproduce the fluctuation curves in 3 representative seasonal patterns of peptic ulcers but make the parallel relationships invisible. Discussion: The parallel relationships revealed a causal role of environmental factors in peptic ulcers, whereas the reproduction of the fluctuation curves elucidated that multiple environmental factors cause the seasonal variation of peptic ulcers by Superposition Mechanism. The regional differences in environmental factors result in the diverse patterns, as well as the controversy questioning the seasonality of peptic ulcers. Significantly, the data analyses exemplify the application of a new concept, Superposition Mechanism, which might be an indispensable methodological complement to life science and medicine.

Background: In 1962, Susser and Stein observed that the mortality rates of peptic ulcers in England and Wales increased markedly in the 1910s, maintained at a high level during the 1910s-1940s, and began to decline steadily since the early 1950s. They termed this epidemic pattern a birth-cohort phenomenon, but its mechanism has never been elucidated. Susser and Stein speculated that the occurrences of extraordinary social environmental factors roughly fit the fluctuations, but the role of environmental factors in peptic ulcers has never been identified. Objectives: This study aims to elucidate the mechanism of the birth-cohort phenomenon of peptic ulcers and identify the role of environmental factors in the disease. Methods: Starting from an etiology identified recently, this study uses the two inverse operations in calculus, differentiation, and integration, to analyze the existing data. First, a fluctuation curve in the birth-cohort phenomenon is differentiated into multiple annual mortality rates caused by individual environmental factors. Second, these annual mortality rates are integrated to reproduce the fluctuation curve in the birth-cohort phenomenon. Results: The differentiation reveals a parallel relationship between the psychological impacts of environmental factors and the mortality rates of peptic ulcers, whereas the integration reproduces a representative fluctuation curve in the birth-cohort phenomenon. The successive occurrences of multiple social environmental factors from the 1910s to 1940s maintained the increase in mortality rates, while the sustained improvements in living environments explained the steady decline of the mortality rates from the early 1950s. Conclusion: The parallel relationship suggests a causal role of environmental factors in peptic ulcers, whereas the reproduction of a representative fluctuation curve indicates that multiple environmental factors caused the birth-cohort phenomenon by Superposition Mechanism. Significantly, this study challenges the current reductionist approach used to study disease in modern medicine by demonstrating the effectiveness of an opposite methodological concept focused on integration.

Under the development mode of deep blending of emerging technologies, major projects are important for enhancing China's comprehensive national strength and independent innovation capability. Based on the social benefits of major projects, and considering the influence of reputation factors, an evolutionary game model composed of a general contractor and subcontractor of major projects is established. This paper studies the influence of various factors including the income distribution coefficient of collaborative innovation, and MATLAB simulation software is analyzed the influence of factors on an evolutionary path. The results show that a reasonable income distribution coefficient can promote the game behavior of both parties to the direction of active collaborative innovation; The reduction of innovation cost and the improvement of spillover technology absorption capacity can make innovation subjects tend to choose active collaborative innovation strategies. In addition, reputation loss above a specific threshold can effectively inhibit free-riding behavior and encourage innovation subjects to choose active collaborative innovation strategies. The research results provide reference for promoting major projects' technology innovation.

Background: There is now evidence that immune and opioid systems show functional reciprocal relationships and that both systems may participate in the pathophysiology of major depression (MDD). Objective: The present study was carried out to delineate differences between MDD patients and healthy controls in dynorphin and kappa opioid receptor (KORs) in association with levels of β-endorphins and mu opioid receptors (MORs), interleukin-6 (IL-6) and IL-10. Method: The present study recruited 60 drug-free male participants with MDD aged 24-70 year and 30 age-matched healthy males as control group and measured serum levels of dynorphin, KOR, β-endorphin, MOR, IL-6 and IL-10. Results: Serum dynorphin, KOR, β-endorphin and MOR are significantly increased in MDD as compared with controls. The increases in the dynorphin/KOR system and β-endorhin/MOR system are significantly intercorrelated and are both strongly associated with increased IL-6 and IL-10 levels. Dynorphin, β-endorphin, KOR and both cytokines showed a good diagnostic performance for MDD versus controls, whereby both opioid peptides and cytokines show a bootstrapped (n=2000) area under the receiver operating curve of 0.972. KOR and the dynorphin/KOR system are both significantly decreased in depressed subjects with comorbid nicotine dependence. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that in MDD, immune activation is associated with a simultaneous activation of dynorphin/KOR and β-endorhin/MOR signaling and that these opioid systems may participate in the pathophysiology of depression by a) exerting immune regulatory activities attenuating the primary immune response; and b) modulating reward responses and mood as well as emotional and behavioral responses to stress.

Eco-friendly betanin/clay minerals hybrid materials with good stability were synthesized combining natural betanin molecules extracted from beetroot with 2:1 type palygorskite (Pal) and 1:1 type halloysite (Hal), respectively. It was found that the adsorption, grinding and heating treatment played a key role to enhance the interaction between betanin and clay minerals during preparation process, which favored improving the thermal stability and solvent resistance of natural betanin. The L* and a* values of the betanin/Pal and betanin/Hal hybrid materials were 64.94 and 14.96, 62.55 and 15.48, respectively, indicating that betanin/Hal exhibited the better color performance. The structural characterizations confirmed that betanin was mainly adsorbed on the outer surface of Pal or Hal through hydrogen-bond interaction, and part of them also were entered into the inner surface of Hal via electrostatic interaction. Therefore, Hal preferred to improve the color properties, heating stability and solvent resistance of natural betanin due to its structural features compared with Pal.

The Subtropical Front (STF) plays a key role in the ecology of Chilean jack mackerel Trachurus murphyi. Nonetheless, there are few remote sensing studies of the STF in the open Southeast Pacific Ocean, and almost all of them have been conducted by satellite oceanographers in Russia and Ukraine to support respective large-scale fisheries of jack mackerel in this region. We reviewed these studies that documented long-term seasonal and interannual variability of the STF from sea surface temperature (SST) and sea surface height (SSH) data. We also mapped the STF from satellite sea surface salinity (SSS) data of the SMOS mission (2012-2019). The Subtropical Front consists of two fronts -- North and South STF about 500 km apart -- that border the Subtropical Frontal Zone (STFZ) in-between. The STF is density-compensated, with spatially divergent manifestations in temperature and salinity. In the temperature field, the STF extends in the WNW to ESE direction in the Southeast Pacific. In the salinity field, the STFZ appears as a broad frontal zone, extending zonally between 30-35°S across the entire South Pacific. Three major types of satellite data – SST, SSH, and SSS – can be used to locate the STF. The SSH data is most advantageous with regard to the jack mackerel fisheries owing to the all-weather capability of satellite altimetry and the radical improvement of the spatial resolution of SSH data in the near future. Despite the dearth of dedicated in situ studies of the South Pacific STFZ, there is a broad consensus regarding the STFZ being the principal spawning and nursing ground of T. murphyi as well as a major migration corridor between Chile and New Zealand.

The human serotonin transporter (hSERT) terminates neurotransmission by removing serotonin from the synaptic cleft, which is an essential process plays an important role in depression. In addition to substrate serotonin, hSERT is also the target of drugs of abuse like cocaine and clinically used antidepressants such as escitalopram and paroxetine. To date, few studies attempt to investigate the unbinding mechanism underlying the orthosteric and allosteric modulation of hSERT. The high-resolution X-ray structure of hSERT resolved recently enables us to theoretically study the unbinding of the above four ligands against the S1 or S2 site of hSERT, by means of molecular docking, molecular dynamics (MD) and potential of mean force (PMF) simulations. We proved that for either the S1 or S2 site, the other three ligands (cocaine, escitalopram and paroxetine) are much more favorable than the original substrate serotonin, whether in kinetics along the unbinding pathways or in thermodynamics at the equilibrium states. Furthermore, the S1 site is much more favorable than the S2 site, for each ligand. Interestingly, inspection revealed that there are ~ 3Å lengths between the allosteric site of serotonin and cocaine, and an unseen un-binding pathway for escitalopram at the S1 site except for verification of the broadest trail.

Loess is a special soil with high water sensitivity, which covers a large area in northwest China. Cracks are prone to generate in loess under the arid and semi-arid climate, which will provide the preferential channel for water and reduce the mechanical properties of soils. It is of great significance to understand the evolution characteristics and mechanisms of the cracks in loess areas. At present, the researches on cracks in soils are mainly concentrated in the characteristics of different cracking patterns. However, the spacing cracks are mostly discussed in materials like rock and concrete, rather than soils. The cracking characteristics and mechanisms of spacing cracks in loess is still inadequate. In this research, the drying tests of loess are carried out with different sizes of specimens. The parameters of spacing cracks and local strain distributions of the loess samples are obtained via PCAS and DIC methods during desiccation, respectively. The cracking modes, space cracking laws like insertion and saturation of spacing cracks are revealed. Finally, the size effect on the characteristics of spacing cracks is verified with a discrete element software MatDEM.

As the COVID-19 pandemic has caused enormous damage to society, economy and public health security, it is crucial to combat the epidemic and allocate social and health resources effectively. Global optimization algorithms are extensively used in many domains to find optimal solutions to complex problems. Thus, a survey of three typical global optimizations applied on the COVID-19 pandemic is timely. This article is structured into three typical global optimization algorithms - Genetic Algorithm, Particle Swarm Optimization, and Cat Swarm Optimization - and summarizes the framework models and practical applications, as well as other optimization methods that may be applied to COVID-19. Finally, current unresolved challenges and future research opportunities to be explored are summarized.

Europium (Eu)-doped fluorapatite (FA) nanorods has a similar biocompatibility with hydroxyapatite (HA) in terms, attracted much attention as cell imaging biomaterials due to their luminescent property. Here, we will discuss the new feature of europium doped fluorapatite (Eu-FA) nanorods as anticancer drug carrier. Eu-FA nanorods was prepared using a hydrothermal method. The morphology, crystal structure, fluorescence and composition are investigated. The specific crystal structure, enabling an effective loading of drug molecules. Doxorubicin (DOX), used as an anticancer model drug, was shown to be effectively loaded onto the surface of the nanorods. The DOX release was fairly pH-dependent, occurring more rapidly at pH 5.5 than pH 7.4 was observed. The intracellular penetration of the DOX-loaded Eu-FA nanorods (Eu-FA/DOX) can be imaged in situ due to the self-fluorescence property. Treatment of melanoma A375 cells with Eu-FA/DOX elicited a more effective apoptosis rate than direct DOX treatment. Overall, Eu-FA show great promise for tracking and treating tumor, may potentially useful as a multifunctional carrier system to effectively load and sustainably deliver drugs.

Predators are dependent on the capture of prey to meet their energetic and nutritive requirements, imposing a regime of predation risk. Consequently, prey experience both consumptive and non-consumptive effects. Non-consumptive effects may manifest through altered growth and ontogenetic trajectories of prey species, a dynamic modulated by olfactory or other sensory cues from predators. Bactrocera dorsalis Hendel represents a great invasive threat to global horticulture. While earlier research has primarily centered on the consumptive interactions between B. dorsalis and its natural enemies, the potential consequences of non-consumptive interactions on the development of B. dorsalis have been overlooked. In this study, we investigated the impact of predation risk effects, induced by both visual exposure to the predatory mantis Hierodula patellifera Serville and its associated odor, on the life history traits of B. dorsalis. Female B. dorsalis demonstrated reduced development time in the presence of isolated H. patellifera or H. patellifera odor, yet evidenced significantly increased fecundity. Conversely, males displayed no significant change in development time. Additionally, neither female nor male body weight at death was significantly influenced by predation risk from isolated predators or predator odor. These results indicated adaptive developmental strategies of B. dorsalis when faced with risks from predators and highlight the important role of predator odor, which has the potential to lay the groundwork for improving biological control efforts and innovative approaches within pest control.

Pandemics caused by viruses have threatened lives of thousands of people. Viral infection is a complex and diverse process, and substantial studies have been complemented in understanding the biochemical and molecular interactions between viruses and hosts. However, the physical microenvironment where infections implement is often less carefully considered, and the role of mechanobiology in viral infection remains elusive. Mechanobiology focuses on sensation, transduction and response to intracellular and extracellular physical factors by tissues, cells and extracellular matrix. The intracellular cytoskeleton and mechanosensors have been proved to be extensively involved in virus life cycle. Furthermore, innovative methods in vivo and in vitro are being utilized to elucidate how extracellular factors including stiffness, forces and topography in regulating viral infection. Our current review covers how physical factors from different sources coordinate virus infection. We further discuss how this knowledge can be harnessed in future research on cross-fields of mechanobiology and virology.

Seepage erosion is one of the main reasons for the local collapse or instability of embankments. To investigate the characteristics and mechanism of seepage erosion for cohesionless soils, the model tests by using an independently developed seepage erosion device and the numerical simulations based on the Discrete Element Method-Computational Fluid Dynamics (DEM-CFD) coupling model were carried out. The results show that the seepage erosion process of the cohesionless soil can be characterized by four stages: stable seepage stage, fine particles upward migration stage, sand samples boiling stage, and erosion damage stage. The skeleton structure of soil sample under seepage flow is continually changed due to the loss of fine soil particles, which results in a significant decrease in the sample strength and may ultimately lead to the failure of the sample. The results of this study can provide references and bases for the design, construction, and long-term service of embankments or earth dams under the complex seepage condition, reducing the risk of seepage erosion.