Chloroplast genome evolution of Berberis (Berberidaceae): Implications for phylogeny and metabarcoding.

Berberidis Radix (Sankezhen), a typical multi-origin Chinese medicinal material, originates from the dried roots of plants of the Berberis genus and is used to treat various ailments. These species have similar morphologies, potentially leading to misidentifications that can impact medicine efficacy. Therefore, developing suitable molecular markers to identify medicinal species is imperative. Furthermore, discrepancies exist in the taxonomy of the Berberis genus. In the present study, we de novo assembled the chloroplast genomes of six Berberis species (Berberis woomungensis C. Y. Wu, Berberis pruinosa Franch., Berberis thunbergii DC., Berberis chinensis Poir., Berberis wilsoniae Hemsl., and Berberis sp.) that commonly constitute Berberidis Radix and compared them with previously reported genomes. Our comparative analysis revealed similarities in genome structure, relative synonymous codon usage, amino acid frequency, repeats, and substitutions. Higher synonymous substitutions, indicative of predominant purifying selection on protein-coding genes, were observed compared to non-synonymous substitutions. However, positive selection was identified in six genes across 29 Berberis species-accD, matK, ndhD, rbcL, ycf1, and ycf2-highlighting their potential roles in adaptive responses to specific environmental conditions within the genus. Inverted repeats expansion and contraction affected the rate of mutations and were associated with the phylogenetic classification of Berberis. Our phylogenetic analysis supported the division of the Berberis complex into four genera, which corroborates previous studies involving extensive sampling. We identified the ndhD-ccsA region as the most polymorphic region and applied this region to Chinese patent medicines containing Berberidis Radix through metabarcoding. The metabarcoding analysis confirmed that five Berberis species commonly constitute Berberidis Radix in Chinese patent medicines. In conclusion, this study provides insight into the molecular evolution of the chloroplast genome and the phylogeny of the Berberis genus. In addition, metabarcoding provides insight into the species composition of Berberidis Radix in Chinese patent medicines.

Effect of Pouring Techniques and Funnel Structures on Crucible Metallurgy: Physical and Numerical Simulations.

In the planar flow casting process of amorphous strips, the flow behavior of molten metal and the inclusion content in the crucible are crucial to the morphology and magnetic properties of the material. This study conducts a comparative analysis of the effects of non-immersed and immersed funnels, as well as various funnel structures, on the fluid flow and inclusion removal efficiency in the crucible by integrating numerical and physical models. The findings reveal that for the same pouring flow rate, the diameter of the liquid column in non-immersed pouring conditions is smaller than that of the funnel outlet, leading to a faster injection flow velocity. As a result, the melt in the crucible is subjected to severe impacts, accompanied by an increased possibility of slag entrapment. Conversely, immersed pouring substantially reduces the velocity of the molten metal at the funnel outlet, thereby extending the residence time in the crucible and diminishing the volume of the dead zone. Additionally, the molten metal backflows due to the negative pressure formed in the inner chamber of the funnel. The design of a trumpet-shaped funnel increases the effective volume while reducing the height of the backflow fluid, consequently reducing the velocity of the molten metal at the funnel outlet and prolonging the residence time. Compared to the conventional pouring process with the non-immersed funnel, the outlet velocity is reduced from 1.1 m/s to 0.12 m/s by adopting the immersed funnel with an inverted trapezoidal trumpet structure. This reduction results in a stable flow state, a 9.69% reduction in the dead zone volume fraction, and a 22.96% increase in average inclusion removal efficiency. These improvements demonstrate that a crucible funnel with a well-designed structure and the implementation of an immersion process can significantly improve the metallurgical effects in the planar flow casting process.

Factors associated with dysfunction of autogenous arteriovenous fistula in patients with secondary hyperparathyroidism after parathyroidectomy.

BACKGROUND: Secondary hyperparathyroidism (SHPT) is a prevalent chronic complication in patients undergoing hemodialysis. Parathyroidectomy (PTX) is crucial for reducing mortality and improving the prognosis in the treatment of refractory hyperparathyroidism. However, it is often associated with a number of postoperative complications such as postoperative hypotension, hyperkalemia, and hungry bone syndrome. A previous study demonstrated that low blood pressure influences the patency of autogenous arteriovenous fistulas (AVF). Few studies have examined AVF dysfunction following PTX. This study aimed to identify and describe the risk variables associated with AVF dysfunction after PTX. METHODS: Cases of AVF dysfunction after PTX between 2015 and 2021 were studied. Four controls were identified for each patient and were matched for sex and age. Biochemical parameters and blood pressure of the patients before and after PTX were recorded. Risk factors for AVF dysfunction after PTX were identified using conditional logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: Sixteen patients and 64 controls were included in this study. Baseline demographic and laboratory data were compared. Patients in the AVF dysfunction group had lower levels of postoperative calcium than the controls. After surgery, calcium levels decreased more in patients with AVF dysfunction than in the control group. The decrease in systolic blood pressure (ΔSBP) after PTX was greater in the AVF dysfunction group than that in the control group. For each 1 mmHg increment in ΔSBP, the risk of AVF dysfunction after surgery increased by 11.6% (OR = 1.116, 95% CI, 1.005-1.239, p = .040). The likelihood of developing AVF dysfunction after surgery was twelvefold higher in diabetic patients than in non-diabetic patients (OR = 12.506, 95% CI, 1.113-140.492, p = .041). Among patients with ΔSBP > 5.8 mmHg after PTX, the AVF failure rate was significantly greater in patients with diabetes than in those without diabetes. Patients with a history of AVF failure had a nine-fold higher risk of developing AVF dysfunction (OR = 9.143, 95% CI, 1.151-72.627, p = .036). Serum albumin, hemoglobin, ΔiPTH, and age were not independent predictors of AVF dysfunction. The cutoff value for SBP was 5.8 mmHg, as determined by the Youden index of the receiver operating characteristic curve. CONCLUSION: Decreased systolic blood pressure (ΔSBP) after PTX, diabetes, and AVF failure history were risk factors for AVF dysfunction following PTX in patients with SHPT. Diabetes patients with ΔSBP > 5.8 mmHg were more prone to AVF dysfunction after PTX.

Microbial-Guided prediction of methane and sulfide production in Sewers: Integrating mechanistic models with Machine learning.

Accurate modeling of methane (CH4) and sulfide (H2S) production in sewer systems was constrained by insufficient consideration of microbial processes under dynamic environmental conditions. This study introduces a microbial-guided machine learning (ML) framework (Micro-ML), which integrates microbial process representations from mechanistic models (microbial information) with ML models. Results indicate that Micro-ML model enhanced predictions of CH4 and H2S production, where microbial information provides more information for model optimization. The feature importance of microbial information performed comparable weightings for 58.12 % and 55.16 %, respectively, but their relative significance in influencing Micro-ML model performance varies considerably. The application of Micro-ML performed great potential in reducing CH4 and H2S production (decreased âˆ¼ 80 % and 90 %). The integrated model not only improves the accuracy of CH4 and H2S predictions but also offers a valuable tool for effective management strategies for sewer systems.

Inhibition of acid-sensing receptor GPR4 attenuates neuronal ferroptosis via RhoA/YAP signaling in a rat model of subarachnoid hemorrhage.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) is a devastating stroke, in which acidosis is one of detrimental complications. The extracellular pH reduction can activate G protein-coupled receptor 4 (GPR4) in the brain. Yet, the extent to which proton-activated GPR4 contributes to the early brain injury (EBI) post-SAH remains largely unexplored. Ferroptosis, iron-dependent programmed cell death, has recently been shown to contribute to EBI. We aimed to investigate the effects of GPR4 inhibition on neurological deficits and neuronal ferroptosis after SAH in rats. METHODS: A total 253 Sprague Dawley (SD) male rats (weighing 275-330g) were utilized in this study. SAH was induced by endovascular perforation. NE-52-QQ57 (NE), a selective antagonist of GPR4 was administered intraperitoneally 1-h post-SAH. To explore the mechanisms, RhoA activator U-46619 and YAP activator PY-60 were delivered intracerebroventricularly. Short- and long-term neurobehavior, SAH grading, Western blot assay, ELISA assay, immunofluorescence staining, and transmission electron microscopy was performed post-SAH. RESULTS: Following SAH, there was an upregulation of GPR4 expression in neurons. GPR4 inhibition by NE improved both short-term and long-term neurological outcomes post-SAH. NE also reduced neuronal ferroptosis, as evidenced by decreased lipid peroxidation products 4HNE and MDA levels in brain tissues, and reduced mitochondrial shrinkage, increased mitochondria crista and decreased membrane density. The application of either U-46619 or PY-60 partially offset the neuroprotective effects of NE on neuronal ferroptosis in SAH rats. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrated that acid-sensing receptor GPR4 contributed to neuronal ferroptosis after SAH via RhoA/YAP pathway, and NE may be a potential therapeutic strategy to attenuate GPR4 mediated neuronal ferroptosis and EBI after SAH.

Influence of long-term ecological reclamation on carbon and nitrogen cycling in soil aggregates: The role of bacterial community structure and function.

Understanding the influence of microbial taxa and functions on soil carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) cycling, particularly concerning soil aggregate sizes, is crucial for ecosystem management. This study examines the taxonomic and functional dynamics of soil bacterial communities within different aggregate sizes over time. Soil samples from a reclamation forest on the Loess Plateau in North China were collected across reclamation ages of 0, 3, 18, and 28 years. Soil aggregates were categorized into large macro-aggregates (>2000 µm), small macro-aggregates (250-2000 µm), and micro-aggregates (<250 µm) using a modified dry-sieving method. Soil aggregate stability, C and N concentrations, newly derived plant C, enzyme activities, bacterial communities, and functional genes in each aggregate fraction were systematically analyzed. There was a notable increase in soil aggregate stability and a higher proportion of large aggregates was found with increasing forest age. There were significant differences in bacterial community structures, particularly between micro-aggregates and large macro-aggregates and across different forest ages. Reclamation led to an increased abundance of copiotrophic bacterial taxa. Decreases in N-acquiring enzyme activity in micro-aggregates were contrasted by an increase in C, N, and phosphorus (P) acquisition activities in larger aggregates over time. Larger aggregates showed a faster recovery of C and N cycling genes accompanied by a significant enhancement in acetyl-CoA and ammonia oxidation processes, underscoring their importance in soil nutrient cycling. These results highlight the critical role of aggregate size in shaping microbial community structures and functions that influence soil C and N cycling during reclamation and provide new perspectives highlighting the significance of incorporating aggregate size considerations into soil management and reclamation strategies.

Multi-label remote sensing classification with self-supervised gated multi-modal transformers.

Introduction: With the great success of Transformers in the field of machine learning, it is also gradually attracting widespread interest in the field of remote sensing (RS). However, the research in the field of remote sensing has been hampered by the lack of large labeled data sets and the inconsistency of data modes caused by the diversity of RS platforms. With the rise of self-supervised learning (SSL) algorithms in recent years, RS researchers began to pay attention to the application of "pre-training and fine-tuning" paradigm in RS. However, there are few researches on multi-modal data fusion in remote sensing field. Most of them choose to use only one of the modal data or simply splice multiple modal data roughly. Method: In order to study a more efficient multi-modal data fusion scheme, we propose a multi-modal fusion mechanism based on gated unit control (MGSViT). In this paper, we pretrain the ViT model based on BigEarthNet dataset by combining two commonly used SSL algorithms, and propose an intra-modal and inter-modal gated fusion unit for feature learning by combining multispectral (MS) and synthetic aperture radar (SAR). Our method can effectively combine different modal data to extract key feature information. Results and discussion: After fine-tuning and comparison experiments, we outperform the most advanced algorithms in all downstream classification tasks. The validity of our proposed method is verified.

Tumor specific in situ synthesis of therapeutic agent for precision cancer therapy.

BACKGROUND: Traditional chemotherapeutic agents suffer from a lack of selectivity, poor targeting ability, and drug resistance. Developing tumor-specific therapies is crucial for precisely eliminating tumors while circumventing toxicity to normal tissues. Disulfiram (DSF), an FDA-approved drug for treating alcohol dependence, exhibits antitumor effect by forming complexes with copper ions (Cu(DDC)2). Here, we developed a Cu-doped polydopamine-based nanosystem (DSF@CuPDA-PEGM) to achieve in situ generation of toxic Cu(DDC)2. RESULTS: In cancer cells with elevated H2O2 contents, CuPDA responsively degrades to release Cu ions and DSF, allowing on-site synthesis of Cu(DDC)2 with potent antitumor activity. DSF@CuPDA-PEGM exhibits excellent therapeutic efficacy against both drug-sensitive and drug-resistant cancer cells while minimizing toxicity to noncancerous cells. Moreover, DSF@CuPDA-PEGM promotes the immune response by inducing cancer cell immunogenic death, thereby augmenting anti-PD-1-based immune checkpoint blockade therapy. CONCLUSION: A tumor-specifically degradable Cu-doped polydopamine-based nanosystem is developed to achieve in situ synthesis of antitumor compounds, providing a promising approach to precisely eliminate tumors and heighten chemo-immunotherapy.

The sugar moiety in protopanaxadiol ginsenoside affects its ability to target glucocorticoid receptor to regulate lipid metabolism.

Ginsenosides are natural products with hydrophobic rings adorned with sugar molecules. The elucidation of the impact of ginsenosides structure on their activity is crucial for facilitating precision-oriented modifications, thereby enhancing their suitability for drug development. Here, utilizing an ob/ob mouse model, we demonstrated that as the number of sugar moiety on the protopanaxadiol-type ginsenosides decreased, the hypolipidemic potency increased, while the aglycon exhibited negligible activity. Mechanistically, we demonstrated the dependency of ginsenosides on the glucocorticoid receptor (GR) for the regulation of lipid metabolism. Interestingly, ginsenoside CK was found to promote the transcription of lipid metabolism-related genes via GR contrast to the effects of glucocorticoids, suggesting a unique mode of action. Furthermore, we observed that a reduction in the number of sugar molecules strengthened the binding affinity of ginsenosides to GR, as determined by microscale thermophoresis. These findings highlight the critical role of the sugar moiety in modulating the lipid-regulating capacity of ginsenosides, providing valuable insights for the development of these compounds as potential therapeutic agents.

GexMolGen: cross-modal generation of hit-like molecules via large language model encoding of gene expression signatures.

Designing de novo molecules with specific biological activity is an essential task since it holds the potential to bypass the exploration of target genes, which is an initial step in the modern drug discovery paradigm. However, traditional methods mainly screen molecules by comparing the desired molecular effects within the documented experimental results. The data set limits this process, and it is hard to conduct direct cross-modal comparisons. Therefore, we propose a solution based on cross-modal generation called GexMolGen (Gene Expression-based Molecule Generator), which generates hit-like molecules using gene expression signatures alone. These signatures are calculated by inputting control and desired gene expression states. Our model GexMolGen adopts a "first-align-then-generate" strategy, aligning the gene expression signatures and molecules within a mapping space, ensuring a smooth cross-modal transition. The transformed molecular embeddings are then decoded into molecular graphs. In addition, we employ an advanced single-cell large language model for input flexibility and pre-train a scaffold-based molecular model to ensure that all generated molecules are 100% valid. Empirical results show that our model can produce molecules highly similar to known references, whether feeding in- or out-of-domain transcriptome data. Furthermore, it can also serve as a reliable tool for cross-modal screening.

IL-1ß-induced epithelial cell and fibroblast transdifferentiation promotes neutrophil recruitment in chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps.

Neutrophilic inflammation contributes to multiple chronic inflammatory airway diseases, including asthma and chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (CRSwNP), and is associated with an unfavorable prognosis. Here, using single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) to profile human nasal mucosa obtained from the inferior turbinates, middle turbinates, and nasal polyps of CRSwNP patients, we identify two IL-1 signaling-induced cell subsets-LY6D+ club cells and IDO1+ fibroblasts-that promote neutrophil recruitment by respectively releasing S100A8/A9 and CXCL1/2/3/5/6/8 into inflammatory regions. IL-1ß, a pro-inflammatory cytokine involved in IL-1 signaling, induces the transdifferentiation of LY6D+ club cells and IDO1+ fibroblasts from primary epithelial cells and fibroblasts, respectively. In an LPS-induced neutrophilic CRSwNP mouse model, blocking IL-1ß activity with a receptor antagonist significantly reduces the numbers of LY6D+ club cells and IDO1+ fibroblasts and mitigates nasal inflammation. This study implicates the function of two cell subsets in neutrophil recruitment and demonstrates an IL-1-based intervention for mitigating neutrophilic inflammation in CRSwNP.

Habitat quality outweighs the human footprint in driving spatial patterns of Cetartiodactyla in the Kunlun-Pamir Plateau.

The Human Footprint (HFP) and Habitat Quality (HQ) are critical factors influencing the species' distribution, yet their relation to biodiversity, particularly in mountainous regions, still remains inadequately understood. This study aims to identify the primary factor that affects the biodiversity by comparing the impact of the HFP and HQ on the species' richness of Cetartiodactyla in the Kunlun-Pamir Plateau and four protected areas: The Pamir Plateau Wetland Nature Reserve, Taxkorgan Wildlife Nature Reserve, Middle Kunlun Nature Reserve and Arjinshan Nature Reserve through multi-source satellite remote sensing product data. By integrating satellite data with the Integrated Valuation of Ecosystem Services and Trade-offs (InVEST)HQ model and utilizing residual and linear regression analysis, we found that: (1) The Wildness Area (WA) predominantly underwent a transition to a Highly Modified Area (HMA) and Intact Area (IA), with a notable 12.02% rise in stable regions, while 58.51% rather experienced a negligible decrease. (2) From 1985 to 2020, the Kunlun-Pamir Plateau has seen increases in the forestland, water, cropland and shrubland, alongside declines in bare land and grassland, denoting considerable land cover changes. (3) The HQ degradation was significant, with 79.81% of the area showing degradation compared to a 10.65% improvement, varying across the nature reserves. (4) The species richness of Cetartiodactyla was better explained by HQ than by HFP on the Kunlun-Pamir Plateau (52.99% vs. 47.01%), as well as in the Arjinshan Nature Reserve (81.57%) and Middle Kunlun Nature Reserve (56.41%). In contrast, HFP was more explanatory in the Pamir Plateau Wetland Nature Reserve (88.89%) and the Taxkorgan Wildlife Nature Reserve (54.55%). Prioritizing the restoration of degraded habitats areas of the Kunlun Pamir Plateau could enhance Cetartiodactyla species richness. These findings provide valuable insights for the biodiversity management and conservation strategies in the mountainous regions.

Mitochondrial ferritin upregulation by deferiprone reduced neuronal ferroptosis and improved neurological deficits via NDRG1/Yap pathway in a neonatal rat model of germinal matrix hemorrhage.

Ferroptosis contributes to brain injury after germinal matrix hemorrhage (GMH). Mitochondrial ferritin (FTMT), a novel mitochondrial outer membrane protein, reduces oxidative stress in neurodegenerative diseases. In vitro, Deferiprone has been shown to upregulate FTMT. However, the effects of FTMT upregulation by Deferiprone on neuronal ferroptosis after GMH and its underlying mechanism has not been investigated. In our study, 389 Sprague-Dawley rat pups of postnatal day 7 were used to establish a collagenase-induced GMH model and an iron-overload model of intracerebral FeCl2 injection. The brain expressions of FTMT, N-myc downstream-regulated gene-1 (NDGR1), Yes-associated protein (YAP), ferroptosis-related molecules including transferrin receptor (TFR) and acyl-CoA synthase long-chain family member 4 (ACSL4) were increased after GMH. FTMT agonist Deferiprone improved neurological deficits and hydrocephalus after GMH. Deferiprone or Adenovirus-FTMT enhanced YAP phosphorylation at the Ser127 site and attenuated ferroptosis, which was reversed by NDRG1 CRISPR Knockout. Iron overload induced neuronal ferroptosis and neurological deficits, which were improved by YAP CRISPR Knockout. Collectively, FTMT upregulation by Deferiprone reduced neuronal ferroptosis and neurological deficits via the NDRG1/YAP signaling pathway after GMH. Deferiprone may serve as a potential non-invasive treatment for GMH patients.

Effect of prehabilitation exercises on postoperative frailty in patients undergoing laparoscopic colorectal cancer surgery.

Background: To improve perioperative frailty status in patients undergoing laparoscopic colorectal cancer surgery (LCCS), we explored a new intensive prehabilitation program that combines prehabilitation exercises with standard enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) and explored its impact. Methods: We conducted a prospective randomized controlled trial. Between April 2021 to August 2021, patients undergoing elective LCCS were randomized into the standardized ERAS (S-ERAS) group or ERAS based on prehabilitation (group PR-ERAS). Patients in the PR-ERAS group undergoing prehabilitation exercises in the perioperative period in addition to standard enhanced recovery after surgery. We explored the effects of this prehabilitation protocol on frailty, short-term quality of recovery (QoR), psychological status, postoperative functional capacity, postoperative outcomes, and pain. Results: In total, 125 patients were evaluated, and 95 eligible patients were enrolled and randomly allocated to the S-ERAS (n = 45) and PR-ERAS (n = 50) groups. The Fried score was higher in the PR-ERAS group on postoperative day (7 (2(2,3) vs. 3(2,4), P = 0.012). The QoR-9 was higher in the PR-ERAS group than in the S-ERAS group on the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 7th postoperative days. The PR-ERAS group had an earlier time to first ambulation (P < 0.050) and time to first flatus (P < 0.050). Conclusion: Prehabilitation exercises can improve postoperative frailty and accelerate recovery in patients undergoing LCCS but may not improve surgical safety. Therefore, better and more targeted prehabilitation recovery protocols should be explored. Clinical trial registration: www.clinicaltrials.org , identifier NCT04964856.

Integrated machine learning and bioinformatic analysis of mitochondrial-related signature in chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps.

Background: Chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (CRSwNP) is a prevalent inflammatory disorder affecting the upper respiratory tract. Recent studies have indicated an association between CRSwNP and mitochondrial metabolic disorder characterized by impaired metabolic pathways; however, the precise mechanisms remain unclear. This study aims to investigate the mitochondrial-related signature in individuals diagnosed with CRSwNP. Methods: Through the integration of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) with the mitochondrial gene set, differentially expressed mitochondrial-related genes (DEMRGs) were identified. Subsequently, the hub DEMRGs were selected using 4 integrated machine learning algorithms. Immune and mitochondrial characteristics were estimated based on CIBERSORT and ssGSEA algorithms. Bioinformatic findings were confirmed through RT-qPCR, immunohistochemistry, and ELISA for nasal tissues, as well as Western blotting analysis for human nasal epithelial cells (hNECs). The relationship between hub DEMRGs and disease severity was assessed using Spearman correlation analysis. Results: A total of 24 DEMRGs were screened, most of which exhibited lower expression levels in CRSwNP samples. Five hub DEMRGs (ALDH1L1, BCKDHB, CBR3, HMGCS2, and OXR1) were consistently downregulated in both the discovery and validation cohorts. The hub genes showed a high diagnostic performance and were positively correlated with the infiltration of M2 macrophages and resting mast cells. Experimental results confirmed that the 5 genes were downregulated at both the mRNA and protein levels within nasal polyp tissues. Finally, a significant and inverse relationship was identified between the expression levels of these genes and both the Lund-Mackay and Lund-Kennedy scores. Conclusion: Our findings systematically unraveled 5 hub markers correlated with mitochondrial metabolism and immune cell infiltration in CRSwNP, suggesting their potential to be based to design diagnostic and therapeutic strategies for the disease.

Study on the evaluation method of pilot workload in eVTOL aircraft operation.

This paper investigates the pilot control strategy and workload associated with the manned electric Vertical Take-Off and Landing (eVTOL) aircraft. This research aims to identify control strategies that are both rational and effective in reducing the pilot's workload. Although the Cooper-Harper rating (HQR, Handling Quality Rating) remains the prevalent benchmark for assessing pilot workload, its subjective nature often complicates the precise quantitative identification of the key factors influencing workload. This study introduces an assessment method for pilot control workload using wavelet transform to evaluate pilot workload, focusing on the correlation between pilot control magnitude, frequency components, and complexity. We begin with a review of control action analysis methods in both time and frequency domains. Subsequently, by selecting an appropriate wavelet function and a sampling frequency, we develop the assessment method for pilot control strategy and workload based on wavelet analysis. Finally, we assess pilot workload using real pilot inputs with HQRs obtained from helicopter flight tests and tilt-rotor aircraft conversion simulations. The results indicate that this approach is capable of precisely pinpointing the frequency components and energy levels within pilot control actions throughout different time periods. Furthermore, a significant correlation is observed between pilot control characteristics, frequency components, and HQRs. Consequently, the developed approach provides a rational framework for quantifying and analyzing pilot workload in a range of eVTOL aircraft scenarios.

Lymph node dissection does not affect the survival of patients with tumor node metastasis stages I and II colorectal cancer.

BACKGROUND: The effect of the number of lymph node dissections (LNDs) during radical resection for colorectal cancer (CRC) on overall survival (OS) remains controversial. AIM: To investigate the association between the number of LNDs and OS in patients with tumor node metastasis (TNM) stage I-II CRC undergoing radical resection. METHODS: Patients who underwent radical resection for CRC at a single-center hospital between January 2011 and December 2021 were retrospectively analyzed. Cox regression analyses were performed to identify the independent predictors of OS at different T stages. RESULTS: A total of 2850 patients who underwent laparoscopic radical resection for CRC were enrolled. At stage T1, age [P < 0.01, hazard ratio (HR) = 1.075, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.019-1.134] and tumour size (P = 0.021, HR = 3.635, 95%CI: 1.210-10.917) were independent risk factors for OS. At stage T2, age (P < 0.01, HR = 1.064, 95%CI: 1.032-1.098) and overall complications (P = 0.012, HR = 2.297, 95%CI: 1.200-4.397) were independent risk factors for OS. At stage T3, only age (P < 0.01, HR = 1.047, 95%CI: 1.027-1.066) was an independent risk factor for OS. At stage T4, age (P < 0.01, HR = 1.057, 95%CI: 1.039-1.075) and body mass index (P = 0. 034, HR = 0.941, 95%CI: 0.890-0.995) were independent risk factors for OS. However, there was no association between LNDs and OS in stages I and II. CONCLUSION: The number of LDNs did not affect the survival of patients with TNM stages I and II CRC. Therefore, insufficient LNDs should not be a cause for alarm during the surgery.

The efficient method to get better raw brain signal on rat anesthetics experiment.

This paper introduces an efficient methodology for conducting rat anesthesia experiments, aimed at enhancing the quality of raw brain signals obtained. The proposed approach enables the acquisition of animal brain signals during experiments without the confounding influence of muscle noise. Initially, the use of alpha-chloralose (a-c) in conjunction with Isoflurane is introduced to induce anesthesia in rats. Subsequently, Dexdomitor is administered to prevent muscular movements during the collection of brain signals, further refining the signal quality. Experimental outcomes conclusively demonstrate that our anesthesia method produces cleaner raw signals and exhibits improved robustness during data acquisition, outperforming existing methods that rely solely on Isoflurane or the Ketamine-Xylazine combination. Notably, this improved performance is achieved with minimal alterations to vital physiological parameters, including body temperature, respiration, and heart rates. Moreover, the efficacy of a-c in maintaining anesthesia for up to 7 h stands in contrast to the shorter durations achievable with continuous Isoflurane administration or the 30-min window offered by Ketamine-Xylazine, highlighting the practical advantages of our proposed method. Finally, post-experiment observations confirmed that the animals gradually returned to normal behavior without any signs of distress or adverse effects, indicating that our method was both effective and safe.

New perspective, more rational decoupling: A case study of China.

Scholars usually unconsciously employ the Tapio decoupling model with a static perspective and results-oriented philosophy, which often leads to errors. Therefore, we propose an improved Tapio decoupling model that adopts a dynamic perspective and process-oriented philosophy. Taking China, the world's largest carbon emitter, as a case study, we investigate the decoupling of its provincial industrial carbon emissions (ICE) from industrial value-added (IVA) during 2005-2020 using both the conventional and improved decoupling model, followed by a comparative analysis of their results. Our findings are as follows: (1) Both China's ICE and IVA exhibited a general upward trend during the study period, with non-linear annual ICE and IVA variations observed across all provinces. (2) Overall, China's provincial IVA increasingly decoupled from ICE, with some provinces achieving a strong decoupling state during 2015-2020; however, from the long-term perspective spanning the entire study period, most provinces remained in a weak decoupling state. (3) The conventional decoupling model tends to yield overly optimistic results in empirical study of China, with the decoupling indices during the periods of 2005-2010 and 2005-2020 determined by the conventional model even had significant statistical difference between those determined by the improved model. (4) To ensure equity, differentiated carbon reduction policies should be tailored to each province, considering factors such as absolute carbon emissions, short-term decoupling states, and long-term decoupling states. The improved Tapio decoupling model is proposed as a valuable framework for researchers engaged in related studies.