Oxymatrine mitigates Aspergillus fumigatus keratitis by suppressing fungal activity and restricting pyroptosis.

Fungal keratitis (FK) is a refractory keratitis caused by excessive inflammation and fungal damage. Excessive inflammation can lead to tissue damage and corneal opacity, resulting in a poor prognosis for FK. Oxymatrine (OMT) is a natural alkaloid, which has rich pharmacological effects, such as antioxidant and anti-inflammation. However, its antifungal activity and the mechanism of action in FK have not been elucidated. This study confirmed that OMT suppressed Aspergillus fumigatus growth, biofilm formation, the integrity of fungal cell and conidial adherence. OMT not only effectively reduced corneal fungal load but also inflammation responses. OMT lessened the recruitment of neutrophils and macrophages in FK. In addition, OMT up-regulated the expression of Nrf2 and down-regulated the expression of IL-18, IL-1ß, caspase-1, NLRP3 and GSDMD. Pre-treatment with Nrf2 inhibitor up-regulated the expression of IL-1ß, IL-18, caspase-1, NLRP3 and GSDMD supressed by OMT. In conclusion, OMT has efficient anti-inflammatory and antifungal effects by suppressing fungal activity and restricting pyroptosis via Nrf2 pathway. OMT is considered as a potential option for the treatment of FK.

The indirect impacts of nonpharmacological COVID-19 control measures on other infectious diseases in Yinchuan, Northwest China: a time series study.

BACKGROUND: Various nonpharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) against COVID-19 continue to have an impact on socioeconomic and population behaviour patterns. However, the effect of NPIs on notifiable infectious diseases remains inconclusive due to the variability of the disease spectrum, high-incidence endemic diseases and environmental factors across different geographical regions. Thus, it is of public health interest to explore the influence of NPIs on notifiable infectious diseases in Yinchuan, Northwest China. METHODS: Based on data on notifiable infectious diseases (NIDs), air pollutants, meteorological data, and the number of health institutional personnel in Yinchuan, we first fitted dynamic regression time series models to the incidence of NIDs from 2013 to 2019 and then estimated the incidence for 2020. Then, we compared the projected time series data with the observed incidence of NIDs in 2020. We calculated the relative reduction in NIDs at different emergency response levels in 2020 to identify the impacts of NIPs on NIDs in Yinchuan. RESULTS: A total of 15,711 cases of NIDs were reported in Yinchuan in 2020, which was 42.59% lower than the average annual number of cases from 2013 to 2019. Natural focal diseases and vector-borne infectious diseases showed an increasing trend, as the observed incidence in 2020 was 46.86% higher than the estimated cases. The observed number of cases changed in respiratory infectious diseases, intestinal infectious diseases and sexually transmitted or bloodborne diseases were 65.27%, 58.45% and 35.01% higher than the expected number, respectively. The NIDs with the highest reductions in each subgroup were hand, foot, and mouth disease (5854 cases), infectious diarrhoea (2157 cases) and scarlet fever (832 cases), respectively. In addition, it was also found that the expected relative reduction in NIDs in 2020 showed a decline across different emergency response levels, as the relative reduction dropped from 65.65% (95% CI: -65.86%, 80.84%) during the level 1 response to 52.72% (95% CI: 20.84%, 66.30%) during the level 3 response. CONCLUSIONS: The widespread implementation of NPIs in 2020 may have had significant inhibitory effects on the incidence of respiratory infectious diseases, intestinal infectious diseases and sexually transmitted or bloodborne diseases. The relative reduction in NIDs during different emergency response levels in 2020 showed a declining trend as the response level changed from level 1 to level 3. These results can serve as essential guidance for policy-makers and stakeholders to take specific actions to control infectious diseases and protect vulnerable populations in the future.

Association between ambient temperature, PM2.5 and tuberculosis in Northwest China.

Existing evidence suggested that the risk of tuberculosis (TB) infection was associated to the variations in temperature and PM2.5. A total of 9,111 cases of TB were reported in Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, China from 2013 to 2015 on a daily basis, and 57.2% of them were male. The TB risk was more prominent for a lower temperature in males (RR of 1.724, 95% CI: 1.241, 2.394), the aged over 64 years (RR of 2.241, 95% CI: 1.554, 3.231), and the high mobility occupation subpopulation (RR of 2.758, 95% CI: 1.745, 4.359). High concentration of PM2.5 showed a short-term effect and was only associated with an increased risk in the early stages of exposure for the female, and aged 36-64 years group. There were 15.06% (1370 cases) of cases of TB may be attributable to the temperature, and 2.94% (268 cases) may be attributable to the increase of PM2.5 exposures. Low temperatures may be associated with significantly increase in the risk of TB, and high PM2.5 concentrations have a short-term association on increasing the risk of TB. Strengthening the monitoring and regular prevention and control of high risk groups will provide scientific guidance to reduce the incidence of TB.

Nanophotonic reservoir computing for COVID-19 pandemic forecasting.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has spread worldwide in unprecedented speed, and diverse negative impacts have seriously endangered human society. Accurately forecasting the number of COVID-19 cases can help governments and public health organizations develop the right prevention strategies in advance to contain outbreaks. In this work, a long-term 6-month COVID-19 pandemic forecast in second half of 2021 and a short-term 30-day daily ahead COVID-19 forecast in December 2021 are successfully implemented via a novel nanophotonic reservoir computing based on silicon optomechanical oscillators with photonic crystal cavities, benefitting from its simpler learning algorithm, abundant nonlinear characteristics, and some unique advantages such as CMOS compatibility, fabrication cost, and monolithic integration. In essence, the nonlinear time series related to COVID-19 are mapped to the high-dimensional nonlinear space by the optical nonlinear properties of nanophotonic reservoir computing. The testing-dataset forecast results of new cases, new deaths, cumulative cases, and cumulative deaths for six countries demonstrate that the forecasted blue curves are awfully close to the real red curves with exceedingly small forecast errors. Moreover, the forecast results commendably reflect the variations of the actual case data, revealing the different epidemic transmission laws in developed and developing countries. More importantly, the daily ahead forecast results during December 2021 of four kinds of cases for six countries illustrate that the daily forecasted values are highly coincident with the real values, while the relevant forecast errors are tiny enough to verify the good forecasting competence of COVID-19 pandemic dominated by Omicron strain. Therefore, the implemented nanophotonic reservoir computing can provide some foreknowledge on prevention strategy and healthcare management for COVID-19 pandemic.

Silver Nanoplates for Colorimetric Determination of Xanthine in Human Plasma and in Fish Meat via Etching/Aggregation/Fusion Steps.

Silver nanoplates (AgP) were prepared and used in a colorimetric method for the evaluation of Xanthine (Xan) in blood plasma and fish meat. The detection mechanism for Xan was observed to occur via etching of AgP particles/aggregation/fusion steps, resulting in a color change from blue to grey. First, the basic Xan solution is adsorbed through partial substitution of capping molecules around the AgP with Xan, and then intermolecular hydrogen bonds form between AgP and AgP. Subsequently, the titrant Xan solution further etches the AgP and finally fuses particles together. Owing to the step by step mechanism, the response range towards Xan has two linear regression ranges: 0.15-0.60 µM and 0.61-3.00 µM, respectively. The detection limit in the range of 0.15-0.60 µM is 0.011 µM (S/N = 3). AgP exhibits good selectivity for Xan over other potential interferents such as amino acids and blood proteins. AgP achieves rapid detection of Xan and can be applied to the satisfactory determination of Xan in blood plasma and fish meat. This colorimetric sensor is easy to use, cost effective, fast, selective and user friendly.

[Spectral reflectance characteristics of dominant plant species at different eco-restoring stages in the semi-arid grassland].

The objective of the research is to apply hyperspectral technique into eco-restoring monitoring. Through the ASD Fields HH portable field spectrometer, the hyperspectral data of dominant plant species in vegetation at different eco-restoring stages in semi-arid grassland in Helin County, Inner Mongolia were collected. The original spectrum reflected data were pretreated by wavelet threshold denoising through ViewSpecPro software before analysis. Using the first derivative spectra between 660 and 800 nm, and the methods of detrended canonical correspondence analysis (DCCA) by Canoco 4. 5 software, the canopy hyperspectral datum of 6 dominant plant species was calculated. The results indicated that the dominant plant species at early succession stage were Setaria viridis and Caragana microphylia, at 5 years eco-restoring stage they were Salsola collina and Caragana microphylia and at late succession stage they were Pinus sylvestnis var. mongolica and Salsola collina, same as field survey. The graph of DCCA indicated that the influential bands of dominant species canopy at early eco-succession stage were short bands, with a large variation among species, the influential bands at 5 years eco-restoring stage were near infrared bands between 1 000 and 1 050 nm, and that at late stage were near infrared bands of 1 040-1 075 nm. The DCCA also showed obviously differences in canopy spectrum among 6 dominant species, and obviously differences among 3 eco-restoring stages.

Geriatric nutritional risk index as a predictor for postoperative complications in patients with solid cancers: a meta-analysis.

Background: The geriatric nutritional risk index (GNRI) has been wildly used to predict the prognosis of patients with solid cancer, but it's value in postoperative complications remains unclear. The aim of our study was to systematically explore the value of the GNRI in postoperative complications in patients with solid cancer. Method: The study conducted a systematic literature search using electronic databases to investigate the influence of the GNRI on postoperative complications in patients with solid cancer. The search covered articles published up until May 2023. The odds ratio (OR) with a 95% confidence interval (CI) was employed to assess the effect of GNRI on postoperative complications. Result: A total of 11 studies with 11,002 patients were enrolled in our meta-analysis. The results suggested that patients with a low GNRI have a higher risk of experiencing postoperative complications (OR=2.51, 95%CI 2.05-3.02, z=9.86, p<0.001), a higher risk of suffering Clavien-Dindo (CD) grades≥2 complications(OR=2.24, 95%CI 1.84-2.73, z=8.01, p<0.001), a higher risk of suffering infection (OR=1.85, 95%CI 1.18-2.88, z=2.70, p=0.007) and a higher risk of suffering respiratory complications(OR = 2.94, 95%CI: 1.56-5.55, z=3.31, p=0.001). Conclusion: Based on existing evidence, the GNRI was a valuable predictor of postoperative complications in patients with solid cancer. Systematic review registration: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/display_record.php?RecordID=434299, identifier CRD42023434299.

Attentional Bias, Pupillometry, and Spontaneous Blink Rate: Eye Characteristic Assessment Within a Translatable Nicotine Cue Virtual Reality Paradigm.

Background: Incentive salience processes are important for the development and maintenance of addiction. Eye characteristics such as gaze fixation time, pupil diameter, and spontaneous eyeblink rate (EBR) are theorized to reflect incentive salience and may serve as useful biomarkers. However, conventional cue exposure paradigms have limitations that may impede accurate assessment of these markers. Objective: This study sought to evaluate the validity of these eye-tracking metrics as indicators of incentive salience within a virtual reality (VR) environment replicating real-world situations of nicotine and tobacco product (NTP) use. Methods: NTP users from the community were recruited and grouped by NTP use patterns: nondaily (n=33) and daily (n=75) use. Participants underwent the NTP cue VR paradigm and completed measures of nicotine craving, NTP use history, and VR-related assessments. Eye-gaze fixation time (attentional bias) and pupillometry in response to NTP versus control cues and EBR during the active and neutral VR scenes were recorded and analyzed using ANOVA and analysis of covariance models. Results: Greater subjective craving, as measured by the Tobacco Craving Questionnaire-Short Form, following active versus neutral scenes was observed (F1,106=47.95; P<.001). Greater mean eye-gaze fixation time (F1,106=48.34; P<.001) and pupil diameter (F1,102=5.99; P=.02) in response to NTP versus control cues were also detected. Evidence of NTP use group effects was observed in fixation time and pupillometry analyses, as well as correlations between these metrics, NTP use history, and nicotine craving. No significant associations were observed with EBR. Conclusions: This study provides additional evidence for attentional bias, as measured via eye-gaze fixation time, and pupillometry as useful biomarkers of incentive salience, and partially supports theories suggesting that incentive salience diminishes as nicotine dependence severity increases.

Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis A6 attenuates hippocampal damage and memory impairments in an ADHD rat model.

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is commonly accompanied by learning and memory deficits. This study aimed to demonstrate the effects of probiotic Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis A6 (BAA6) on behaviour and memory function in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs). The results showed that BAA6 treatment ameliorated spatial working memory deficits and inhibited hippocampal neuron loss in SHRs. The levels of neurotransmitters such as acetylcholine, dopamine, and norepinephrine, and the brain derived neurotrophic factor increased and that of glutamate decreased in the brain tissue of SHRs after BAA6 administration. Moreover, BAA6 reduced the levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines TNF-α and IL-1ß, and increased the levels of anti-inflammatory IL-10 and antioxidant glutathione in SHRs. 16S rRNA high-throughput sequencing showed that BAA6 treatment changed the gut microbiota composition. BAA6 promoted beneficial Lactobacillus, Romboutsia, Blautia, and Turicibacter, and decreased the enrichment of bacterial genera such as Dietzia, Sporosarcina, Brevibacterium, NK4A214_group, Atopostipes, and Facklamia negatively associated with neurotransmitter release and anti-inflammatory effects in SHRs. Together, these results suggested that BAA6 improved memory function by ameliorating hippocampal damage, abnormal neurotransmitter release and cerebral inflammation by reshaping the gut microbiota in SHRs. This study provides a scientific basis for the development and application of BAA6 as a promising dietary intervention to reduce the risk of ADHD.

High-speed and energy-efficient asynchronous carry look-ahead adder.

Addition is a fundamental computer arithmetic operation that is widely performed in microprocessors, digital signal processors, and application-specific processors. The design of a high-speed and energy-efficient adder is thus useful and important for practical applications. In this context, this paper presents the designs of novel asynchronous carry look-ahead adders (CLAs) viz. a standard CLA (SCLA) and a block CLA (BCLA). The proposed CLAs are monotonic, dual-rail encoded, and are realized according to return-to-zero handshake (RZH) and return-to-one handshake (ROH) protocols using a 28-nm CMOS process technology. The proposed BCLA has a slight edge over the proposed SCLA, and the proposed BCLA reports the following optimizations in design metrics such as cycle time (delay), area, and power compared to a recently presented state-of-the-art asynchronous CLA for a 32-bit addition: (i) 32.6% reduction in cycle time, 29% reduction in area, 4.3% reduction in power, and 35.5% reduction in energy for RZH, and (ii) 31.4% reduction in cycle time, 28.9% reduction in area, 4.4% reduction in power, and 34.4% reduction in energy for ROH. Also, the proposed BCLA reports reductions in cycle time and power/energy compared to many other asynchronous adders.

Has China's Young Thousand Talents program been successful in recruiting and nurturing top-caliber scientists?

In this study, we examined China's Young Thousand Talents (YTT) program and evaluated its effectiveness in recruiting elite expatriate scientists and in nurturing the returnee scientists' productivity. We find that YTT scientists are generally of high caliber in research but, as a group, fall below the top category in pre-return productivity. We further find that YTT scientists are associated with a post-return publication gain across journal-quality tiers. However, this gain mainly takes place in last-authored publications and for high-caliber (albeit not top-caliber) recruits and can be explained by YTT scientists' access to greater funding and larger research teams. This paper has policy implications for the mobility of scientific talent, especially as early-career scientists face growing challenges in accessing research funding in the United States and European Union.

Launching Your VR Neuroscience Laboratory.

The proliferation and refinement of affordable virtual reality (VR) technologies and wearable sensors have opened new frontiers in cognitive and behavioral neuroscience. This chapter offers a broad overview of VR for anyone interested in leveraging it as a research tool. In the first section, it examines the fundamental functionalities of VR and outlines important considerations that inform the development of immersive content that stimulates the senses. In the second section, the focus of the discussion shifts to the implementation of VR in the context of the neuroscience lab. Practical advice is offered on adapting commercial, off-the-shelf devices to a researcher's specific purposes. Further, methods are explored for recording, synchronizing, and fusing heterogeneous forms of data obtained through the VR system or add-on sensors, as well as for labeling events and capturing game play. The reader should come away with an understanding of fundamental considerations that need to be addressed in order to launch a successful VR neuroscience research program.

Evaluation of Gaze-to-Object Mapping Algorithms for Use in "Real-World" Translatable Neuropsychological Paradigms.

Objective: Eye-tracking technology is commonly used for identifying objects of visual attention. However, applying this technology to virtual reality (VR) applications is challenging. This report analyzes the performance of two gaze-to-object mapping (GTOM) algorithms applied to eye-gaze data acquired during a "real-world" VR cue-reactivity paradigm. Methods: Two groups of participants completed a VR paradigm using an HTC Vive Pro Eye. The gazed objects were determined by the reported gaze rays and one of two GTOM algorithms - naïve ray-casting (n=18) or a combination of ray-casting and Tobii's G2OM algorithm (n=18). Percent gaze duration was calculated from 1-second intervals before each object interaction to estimate gaze accuracy. The object volume of maximal divergence between algorithms was determined by maximizing the difference in Hedge's G effect sizes between small and large percent gaze duration distributions. Differences in percent gaze duration based on algorithm and target object size were tested with a mixed ANOVA. Results: The maximum Hedge's G effect sizes differentiating large and small target objects was observed at an 800cm3 threshold. The combination algorithm performed better than the naïve ray-casting algorithm (p=.003, ηp2=.23), and large objects (>800cm3) were associated with a higher gaze duration percentage than small objects (≤800cm3; p<.001, ηp2=.76). No significant interaction between algorithm and size was observed. Conclusions: Results demonstrated that Tobii's G2OM method outperformed naïve ray-casting in this "real-world" paradigm. As both algorithms show a clear decrease in performance for detecting objects with volumes <800cm3, we recommend using gaze-interactable objects >800cm3 for future HTC Vive Pro Eye applications.

Immunization against inhibin DNA vaccine as an alternative therapeutic for improving follicle development and reproductive performance in beef cattle.

The objective of the present study was to investigate the potential role of immunization against INH on follicular development, serum reproductive hormone (FSH, E2, and P4) concentrations, and reproductive performance in beef cattle. A total of 196 non-lactating female beef cattle (4-5 years old) with identical calving records (3 records) were immunized with 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, or 2.0 mg [(T1, n = 58), (T2, n = 46), (T3, n = 42) and (T4, n = 36), respectively] of the pcISI plasmid. The control (C) group (n = 14) was immunized with 1.0 mL 0.9% saline. At 21d after primary immunization, all beef cattle were boosted with half of the primary immunization dose. On day 10 after primary immunization, the beef cattle immunized with INH DNA vaccine evidently induced anti-INH antibody except for the T1 group. The T3 group had the greatest P/N value peak among all the groups. The anti-INH antibody positive rates in T2, T3 and T4 groups were significantly higher than that in C and T1 groups. RIA results indicated that serum FSH concentration in T2 group increased markedly on day 45 after booster immunization; the E2 amount in T3 group was significantly increased on day 10 after primary immunization, and the levels of E2 also improved in T2 and T3 groups after booster immunization; the P4 concentration in T2 group was significantly improved on day 21 after primary immunization. Ultrasonography results revealed that the follicles with different diameter sizes were increased, meanwhile, the diameter and growth speed of ovulatory follicle were significantly increased. Furthermore, the rates of estrous, ovulation, conception, and twinning rate were also significantly enhanced. These findings clearly illustrated that INH DNA vaccine was capable of promoting the follicle development, thereby improving the behavioral of estrous and ovulation, eventually leading to an augment in the conception rates and twinning rate of beef cattle.

C-reactive Protein/Albumin Ratio as a Prognostic Indicator in Posttraumatic Shock and Outcome of Multiple Trauma Patients.

OBJECTIVE: C-reactive protein (CRP)/albumin ratio (CAR) is a new inflammation-based index for predicting the prognosis of various diseases. The CAR determined on admission may help to predict the prognostic value of multiple trauma patients. METHODS: A total of 264 adult patients with severe multiple trauma were included for the present retrospective study, together with the collection of relevant clinical and laboratory data. CAR, CRP, albumin, shock index and ISS were incorporated into the prognostic model, and the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was drawn. Then, the shock index for patients with different levels of CAR was analyzed. Finally, univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to identify the independent risk factors for the 28-day mortality of multiple trauma patients. RESULTS: A total of 36 patients had poor survival outcomes, and the mortality rate reached 13.6%. Furthermore, after analyzing the shock index for patients with different levels of CAR, it was revealed that the shock index was significantly higher when CAR was ≥4, when compared to CAR <2 and 2≤ CAR <4, in multiple trauma patients. The multivariate logistic analysis helped to identify the independent association between the variables CAR (P=0.029) and shock index (P=0.019), and the 28-day mortality of multiple trauma patients. CONCLUSION: CAR is higher in patients with severe multiple trauma. Furthermore, CAR serves as a risk factor for independently predicting the 28-day mortality of multiple trauma patients. The shock index was significantly higher when CAR was ≥4 in multiple trauma patients.

Using Virtual Reality to Induce and Assess Objective Correlates of Nicotine Craving: Paradigm Development Study.

BACKGROUND: Craving is a clinically important phenotype for the development and maintenance of nicotine addiction. Virtual reality (VR) paradigms are successful in eliciting cue-induced subjective craving and may even elicit stronger craving than traditional picture-cue methods. However, few studies have leveraged the advances of this technology to improve the assessment of craving. OBJECTIVE: This report details the development of a novel, translatable VR paradigm designed to both elicit nicotine craving and assess multiple eye-related characteristics as potential objective correlates of craving. METHODS: A VR paradigm was developed, which includes three Active scenes with nicotine and tobacco product (NTP) cues present, and three Neutral scenes devoid of NTP cues. A pilot sample (N=31) of NTP users underwent the paradigm and completed subjective measures of nicotine craving, sense of presence in the VR paradigm, and VR-related sickness. Eye-gaze fixation time ("attentional bias") and pupil diameter toward Active versus Neutral cues, as well as spontaneous blink rate during the Active and Neutral scenes, were recorded. RESULTS: The NTP Cue VR paradigm was found to elicit a moderate sense of presence (mean Igroup Presence Questionnaire score 60.05, SD 9.66) and low VR-related sickness (mean Virtual Reality Sickness Questionnaire score 16.25, SD 13.94). Scene-specific effects on attentional bias and pupil diameter were observed, with two of the three Active scenes eliciting greater NTP versus control cue attentional bias and pupil diameter (Cohen d=0.30-0.92). The spontaneous blink rate metrics did not differ across Active and Neutral scenes. CONCLUSIONS: This report outlines the development of the NTP Cue VR paradigm. Our results support the potential of this paradigm as an effective laboratory-based cue-exposure task and provide early evidence of the utility of attentional bias and pupillometry, as measured during VR, as useful markers for nicotine addiction.

Reduced Modular Segregation of White Matter Brain Networks in Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.

OBJECTIVE: Despite studies reporting alterations in the brain networks of patients with ADHD, alterations in the modularity of white matter (WM) networks are still unclear. METHOD: Based on the results of module division by generalized Louvain algorithm, the modularity of ADHD was evaluated. The correlation between the modular changes of ADHD and its clinical characteristics was analyzed. RESULTS: The participation coefficient and the connectivity between modules of ADHD increased, and the modularity coefficient decreased. Provincial hubs of ADHD did not change, and the number of connector hubs increased. All results showed that the modular segregation of WM networks of ADHD decreased. Modules with reduced modular segregation are mainly responsible for language and motor functions. Moreover, modularity showed evident correlation with the symptoms of ADHD. CONCLUSION: The modularity changes in WM network provided a novel insight into the understanding of brain cognitive alterations in ADHD.

Solving Dynamic Multiobjective Problem via Autoencoding Evolutionary Search.

Dynamic multiobjective optimization problem (DMOP) denotes the multiobjective optimization problem, which contains objectives that may vary over time. Due to the widespread applications of DMOP existed in reality, DMOP has attracted much research attention in the last decade. In this article, we propose to solve DMOPs via an autoencoding evolutionary search. In particular, for tracking the dynamic changes of a given DMOP, an autoencoder is derived to predict the moving of the Pareto-optimal solutions based on the nondominated solutions obtained before the dynamic occurs. This autoencoder can be easily integrated into the existing multiobjective evolutionary algorithms (EAs), for example, NSGA-II, MOEA/D, etc., for solving DMOP. In contrast to the existing approaches, the proposed prediction method holds a closed-form solution, which thus will not bring much computational burden in the iterative evolutionary search process. Furthermore, the proposed prediction of dynamic change is automatically learned from the nondominated solutions found along the dynamic optimization process, which could provide more accurate Pareto-optimal solution prediction. To investigate the performance of the proposed autoencoding evolutionary search for solving DMOP, comprehensive empirical studies have been conducted by comparing three state-of-the-art prediction-based dynamic multiobjective EAs. The results obtained on the commonly used DMOP benchmarks confirmed the efficacy of the proposed method.

Hybrid cable television and orthogonal-frequency-division-multiplexing transport system basing on single wavelength polarization and amplitude remodulation schemes.

A hybrid community antenna television (CATV) and orthogonal-frequency-division-multiplexing (OFDM) transport system is proposed and experimentally demonstrated to transmit multiple CATV channels and bi-directional radio frequency signals on a single optical carrier. By polarization remodulating an optical CATV signal with downstream OFDM signals and then amplitude remodulating upstream OFDM signals with the hybrid CATV/OFDM signals, this architecture can efficiently utilize only one optical carrier to support optical analog/digital CATV transmission and bi-directional wireless broadband services for each client. Good experimental results prove that this architecture provides a proper wavelength utilization scheme for future multiwavelength optical transport systems.

The effect of public health awareness and behaviors on the transmission dynamics of syphilis in Northwest China, 2006-2018, based on a multiple-stages mathematical model.

Syphilis, a sexually transmitted infectious disease caused by the bacterium treponema pallidum, has re-emerged as a global public health issue with an estimated 12 million people infected each year. Understanding the impacts of health awareness and behaviors on transmission dynamics of syphilis can help to establish optimal control strategy in different regions. In this paper, we develop a multiple-stage SIRS epidemic model taking into account the public health awareness and behaviors of syphilis. First, the basic reproduction number R 0 is obtained, which determines the global dynamics behaviors of the model. We derive the necessary conditions for implementing optimal control and the corresponding optimal solution for mitigation syphilis by using Pontryagin's Maximum Principle. Based on the data of syphilis in Ningxia from 2006 to 2018, the parameterizations and model calibration are carried out. The fitting results are in good agreement with the data. Moreover, sensitivity analysis shows that the public awareness induced protective behaviors C e , compliance of condom-induced preventability ε and treatment for the primary syphilis m 1 play an important role in mitigating the risk of syphilis outbreaks. These results can help us gain insights into the epidemiology of syphilis and provide guidance for the public health authorities to implement health education programs.